Essex County
Essex County, Massachusetts: solar permitting grade B (score 41/100, 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 41/100 |
| Population | 809,838 |
| Solar ordinance | Active, restrictive solar ordinance |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Improving (ordinance direction easing) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Essex County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation. 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: Suffolk County (≈23 mi) · Middlesex County (≈29 mi) · Plymouth County (≈46 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
In Massachusetts, towns hold their own zoning and land-use authority, so the rules for a site in Essex County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Amesbury Town city
- Beverly city
- Gloucester city
- Haverhill city
- Lawrence city
- Lynn city
- Methuen Town city
- Newburyport city
- Peabody city
- Salem city
- Andover townrules on file
- Boxford town
- Danvers town
- Essex townrules on file
- Georgetown town
- Groveland townrules on file
- Hamilton town
- Ipswich townrules on file
- Lynnfield town
- Manchester-by-the-Sea town
- Marblehead town
- Merrimac town
- Middleton townrules on file
- Nahant town
Show all
- Newbury town
- North Andover town
- Rockport town
- Rowley town
- Salisbury town
- Saugus townrules on file
- Swampscott town
- Topsfield town
- Wenham town
- West Newbury town
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Suffolk County · ≈23 miB35—
- Rockingham County, NH · ≈27 miB31—
- Middlesex County · ≈29 miB34—
- Norfolk County · ≈36 miB41—
- Plymouth County · ≈46 miC44—
- Strafford County, NH · ≈46 miB31—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Essex County ranks #7 of 14 ranked Massachusetts counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Massachusetts: Middlesex County (B · 34), Hampshire County (B · 34), Suffolk County (B · 35). See all Massachusetts 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.