Pope County
Pope County, Illinois: solar permitting grade C (score 45/100, Elevated Risk). Score has improved by 9 points over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | C · Elevated Risk · Score 45/100 |
| Population | 4,177 |
| Solar ordinance | Ordinance status not yet documented |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Permitting trajectory | Improving (regulatory environment becoming more solar-friendly) |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Pope County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement. The local regulatory environment has been trending more permissive over the past 12 months. Illinois's state RPS policy provides a supportive macro backdrop for renewables, even where individual county ordinances are restrictive.
Local intel
No energy-related meetings, PSC dockets, or named opposition tracked for this county yet (0 general meetings indexed in calendar). See indexed calendar →
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; paid tiers unlock the underlying record.
Open the full Pope County profile →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 →
SitePath Intelligence is a research platform. Data verified as of 2026-05-02. Scores update on a quarterly review cycle.