Lake County
Lake County, Illinois: solar permitting grade D (score 60/100, High Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | D · High Risk · Score 60/100 |
| Population | 714,342 |
| Solar ordinance | Active, restrictive solar ordinance |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Stable (no material ordinance movement) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Lake County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable. Illinois's state RPS policy provides a supportive macro backdrop for renewables, even where individual county ordinances are restrictive.
Local intel
On file: energy-related meetings · named opposition groups
- 2026-07-09Data Center��cH�qtS ��*p�^�8ޑXTs |j� �j� BQ ;� �~����զ \�G ����I��� �5'� Q;A� ̏\>�QL܌4� > '}���6P ������uC{s�� 4zj�� ��I(�f����%3y�N�܅Q����"2|Gd �X пđ�… · agenda
- 2026-07-01Data CenterDistrict 3 MAC asked the Energy Adhoc Committee to review the data center project at an upcoming BOS meeting. · agenda
- 2026-01-08Data CenterThe Planning Commission approved a special-use permit application for a 150 MW solar farm. · agenda
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Lake County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Highland Park city
- Highwood city
- Lake Forest city
- North Chicago city
- Park City city
- Waukegan city
- Zion city
- Antioch village
- Bannockburn village
- Barrington Hills villagepartly in this county
- Barrington villagepartly in this county
- Beach Park village
- Buffalo Grove villagepartly in this county
- Deer Park villagepartly in this county
- Deerfield villagepartly in this county
- Fox Lake village
- Fox River Grove village
- Grayslake village
- Green Oaks village
- Gurnee village
- Hainesville village
- Hawthorn Woods village
- Indian Creek village
- Island Lake village
Show all
- Kildeer village
- Lake Barrington village
- Lake Bluff village
- Lake Villa village
- Lake Zurich village
- Lakemoor village
- Libertyville village
- Lincolnshire village
- Lindenhurst village
- Long Grove village
- Mettawa village
- Mundelein village
- North Barrington village
- Old Mill Creek village
- Port Barrington village
- Riverwoods village
- Round Lake Beach village
- Round Lake Heights village
- Round Lake Park village
- Round Lake village
- Third Lake village
- Tower Lakes village
- Vernon Hills village
- Volo village
- Wadsworth village
- Wauconda village
- Wheeling villagepartly in this county
- Winthrop Harbor village
- Antioch township
- Avon township
- Benton township
- Cuba township
- Ela township
- Fremont township
- Grant township
- Lake Villa township
- Libertyville township
- Moraine township
- Newport township
- Shields township
- Vernon township
- Warren township
- Wauconda township
- Waukegan township
- West Deerfield township
- Zion township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Kenosha County, WI · ≈18 miC50—
- Racine County, WI · ≈30 miD59—
- Cook County · ≈32 miD52—
- Allegan County, MI · ≈45 miB36—
- DuPage County · ≈47 miB40—
- Milwaukee County, WI · ≈48 miB42—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Lake County ranks #94 of 102 ranked Illinois counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Illinois: DeWitt County (A · 26), Bureau County (A · 26), Edgar County (A · 28). See all Illinois county grades →
Want the full record?
Setback distances, board vote histories, source documents, and ordinance amendments are available in the full county profile. The map is free; a walkthrough shows you the underlying record.
About this score
Every U.S. county is scored 0–100 on solar permitting risk (lower is friendlier to development). The grade is a weighted composite of compliance stringency, market saturation, regulatory trajectory, and data uncertainty. Every figure traces back to a primary government document. Read the full methodology →
Related reading
SitePath Intelligence is a research platform. Data verified as of 2026-05-02. Scores update on a quarterly review cycle.