Whiteside County
Whiteside County, Illinois: solar permitting grade D (score 56/100, 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 56/100 |
| Population | 55,175 |
| 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
Whiteside 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. 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
- 2026-09-15BESSOrdinance amendments were proposed for zoning and development regulations related to wind power, solar power, and energy storage systems. · agenda
- 2026-09-08BESSBoard motion to amend zoning ordinance to include energy storage system · agenda
- 2026-08-20BESSCase #767 Petitioner: SUZAN STICKLE- BUILDING & ZONING ADMINISTRATOR Request: TEXT AMENDMENTS WIND, SOLAR, BESS (BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM) Presentations… · agenda
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Whiteside County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Fulton city
- Morrison city
- Prophetstown city
- Rock Falls city
- Sterling city
- Albany village
- Coleta village
- Deer Grove village
- Erie village
- Lyndon village
- Tampico village
- Albany township
- Clyde township
- Coloma township
- Erie township
- Fenton township
- Fulton township
- Garden Plain township
- Genesee township
- Hahnaman township
- Hopkins township
- Hume township
- Jordan township
- Lyndon township
Show all
- Montmorency township
- Mount Pleasant township
- Newton township
- Portland township
- Prophetstown township
- Sterling township
- Tampico township
- Union Grove township
- Ustick township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Carroll County · ≈21 miC45—
- Henry County · ≈30 miB39—
- Bureau County · ≈31 miA26—
- Lee County · ≈32 miB40—
- Clinton County, IA · ≈34 miB34—
- Ogle County · ≈36 miC43—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Whiteside County ranks #83 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.