Macon County
Macon County, Illinois: solar permitting grade C (score 45/100, Elevated Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | C · Elevated Risk · Score 45/100 |
| Population | 103,266 |
| 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
Macon County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement. 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
No energy-related meetings, PSC dockets, or named opposition tracked for this county yet. See indexed calendar →
Nearby counties where SitePath is tracking energy activity: Piatt County (≈22 mi) · DeWitt County (≈22 mi) · Christian County (≈28 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Macon County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Decatur city
- Macon city
- Maroa city
- Argenta village
- Blue Mound village
- Forsyth village
- Harristown village
- Long Creek village
- Mount Zion village
- Niantic village
- Oreana village
- Warrensburg village
- Austin township
- Blue Mound township
- Decatur township
- Friends Creek township
- Harristown township
- Hickory Point township
- Illini township
- Long Creek township
- Maroa township
- Mount Zion township
- Niantic township
- Oakley township
Show all
- Pleasant View township
- South Macon township
- South Wheatland township
- Whitmore township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Piatt County · ≈22 miB39—
- DeWitt County · ≈22 miA26—
- Moultrie County · ≈24 miB33—
- Christian County · ≈28 miD58—
- Logan County · ≈28 miD54—
- Shelby County · ≈34 miC49—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Macon County ranks #61 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.