Lee County
Lee County, Illinois: solar permitting grade B (score 40/100, Moderate Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | B · Moderate Risk · Score 40/100 |
| Population | 34,096 |
| Solar ordinance | Active solar ordinance on the books |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Stable (no material ordinance movement) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Lee County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation. Illinois's state RPS policy provides a supportive macro backdrop for renewables, even where individual county ordinances are restrictive. Market saturation is elevated in this area — expect competition for prime land parcels and interconnection capacity.
Local intel
On file: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Lee County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Amboy city
- Dixon city
- Rochelle city
- Ashton village
- Compton village
- Franklin Grove village
- Harmon village
- Lee villagepartly in this county
- Nelson village
- Paw Paw village
- Steward village
- Sublette village
- West Brooklyn village
- Alto township
- Amboy township
- Ashton township
- Bradford township
- Brooklyn township
- Dixon township
- East Grove township
- Franklin Grove township
- Hamilton township
- Harmon township
- Lee Center township
Show all
- Marion township
- May township
- Nachusa township
- Nelson township
- Palmyra township
- Reynolds township
- South Dixon township
- Sublette township
- Viola township
- Willow Creek township
- Wyoming township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Ogle County · ≈20 miC43—
- Bureau County · ≈27 miA26—
- DeKalb County · ≈29 miD58—
- Whiteside County · ≈32 miD56—
- LaSalle County · ≈35 miB35—
- Putnam County · ≈38 miC50—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Lee County ranks #38 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.