McLean County
McLean County, Illinois: solar permitting grade B (score 37/100, 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 37/100 |
| Population | 172,638 |
| 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
McLean 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: energy-related meetings · named opposition groups
- 2026-10-06BESSRequest approval of an escrow agreement for a Commercial Solar Energy Generating Facility and a Battery Energy Storage System. · agenda
- 2026-10-06Data CenterData center regulations will be presented and discussed. · agenda
- 2026-09-17Data CenterRequest approval of an Emergency Appropriation Ordinance for the McLean County Fiscal Year 2026 Combined Annual Appropriation and Budget Ordinance for Fund… · agenda
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in McLean County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Bloomington city
- Chenoa city
- El Paso city
- Le Roy city
- Lexington city
- Normal town
- Anchor village
- Arrowsmith village
- Bellflower village
- Carlock village
- Colfax village
- Cooksville village
- Danvers village
- Downs village
- Ellsworth village
- Gridley village
- Heyworth village
- Hudson village
- McLean village
- Saybrook village
- Stanford village
- Towanda village
- Allin township
- Anchor township
Show all
- Arrowsmith township
- Bellflower township
- Bloomington City township
- Bloomington township
- Blue Mound township
- Cheney's Grove township
- Chenoa township
- Cropsey township
- Dale township
- Danvers township
- Dawson township
- Downs township
- Dry Grove township
- Empire township
- Funks Grove township
- Gridley township
- Hudson township
- Lawndale township
- Lexington township
- Martin township
- Money Creek township
- Mount Hope township
- Normal township
- Old Town township
- Randolph township
- Towanda township
- West township
- White Oak township
- Yates township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- DeWitt County · ≈22 miA26—
- Woodford County · ≈28 miC43—
- Livingston County · ≈32 miD56—
- Ford County · ≈33 miB38—
- Tazewell County · ≈35 miD63—
- Piatt County · ≈36 miB39—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
McLean County ranks #17 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.