Buena Vista County
Buena Vista County, Iowa: solar permitting grade B (score 40/100, 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 40/100 |
| Population | 19,620 |
| Solar ordinance | No specific solar ordinance recorded |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Stable (no material ordinance movement) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Buena Vista County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation.
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: Pocahontas County (≈24 mi) · Sac County (≈25 mi) · Cherokee County (≈25 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Buena Vista County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Albert City city
- Alta city
- Lakeside city
- Linn Grove city
- Marathon city
- Newell city
- Rembrandt city
- Sioux Rapids city
- Storm Lake city
- Truesdale city
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Clay County · ≈23 miB37—
- Pocahontas County · ≈24 miB37—
- Sac County · ≈25 miB41—
- Cherokee County · ≈25 miC48—
- Ida County · ≈31 miC43—
- Palo Alto County · ≈33 miB37—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Buena Vista County ranks #53 of 99 ranked Iowa counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Iowa: Polk County (A · 25), Scott County (A · 29), Wapello County (B · 31). See all Iowa 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.