Williamson County
Williamson County, Illinois: solar permitting grade B (score 34/100, 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 34/100 |
| Population | 66,597 |
| 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
Williamson 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
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: Johnson County (≈19 mi) · Jefferson County (≈39 mi) · Livingston County (≈48 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Williamson County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Carbondale citypartly in this county
- Carterville city
- Creal Springs city
- Herrin city
- Hurst city
- Johnston City city
- Marion city
- Bush village
- Cambria village
- Colp village
- Crainville village
- Energy village
- Freeman Spur villagepartly in this county
- Pittsburg village
- Spillertown village
- Stonefort villagepartly in this county
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Franklin County · ≈18 miC45—
- Johnson County · ≈19 miC50—
- Saline County · ≈21 miC51—
- Jackson County · ≈25 miC42—
- Union County · ≈25 miC47—
- Pope County · ≈30 miC45—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Williamson County ranks #12 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.