Does Berrien County, Michigan have a solar moratorium?

No. As of 2026-05-02, Berrien County, Michigan has no active solar moratorium on record. Score has been stable over the last 12 months.

What is Berrien County’s solar permitting risk grade?

Berrien County, Michigan has a SitePath solar permitting grade of D — risk score 55/100 (High Risk). Grades are based on primary-source county ordinances, board votes, and permitting activity, reviewed as of 2026-05-02.

What are the solar permitting rules in Berrien County, Michigan?

Ordinance status: Active solar ordinance on the books. Score has been stable over the last 12 months. See the full primary-source record — ordinance links, setbacks, board actions, and project history — on this page.

SitePath › County map › Michigan › Berrien County

Michigan

Berrien County

FIPS 26021

Berrien County, Michigan: solar permitting grade D (score 55/100, High Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.

Score 55/100

High Risk

Public summary

Grade	D · High Risk · Score 55/100
Population	153,401
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

Berrien County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable. Michigan's state RPS policy provides a supportive macro backdrop for renewables, even where individual county ordinances are restrictive.

Local intel

On file: energy-related meetings · named opposition groups

2026-01-16Data Center
Berrien County discussed a data center project in a resolution. · agenda

See full meetings + dockets + opposition tracking →

Cities, towns & townships

In Michigan, townships hold their own zoning and land-use authority, so the rules for a site in Berrien County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.

Benton Harbor city
Bridgman city
Buchanan city
Coloma city
New Buffalo city
Niles city
St. Joseph city
Watervliet city
Baroda village
Berrien Springs village
Eau Claire village
Galien village
Grand Beach village
Michiana village
Shoreham village
Stevensville village
Three Oaks village
Bainbridge township
Baroda township
Benton charter township
Berrien township
Bertrand township
Buchanan township
Chikaming township

Show all

Coloma charter township
Galien township
Hagar township
Lake charter township
Lincoln charter township
New Buffalo township
Niles township
Oronoko charter township
Pipestone township
Royalton township
Sodus township
St. Joseph charter township
Three Oaks township
Watervliet township
Weesaw township

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.

Nearby counties

LaPorte County, IN · ≈17 miC49—
Porter County, IN · ≈26 miC48—
St. Joseph County, IN · ≈26 miF78—
Starke County, IN · ≈36 miC42—
Cass County · ≈39 miC50—
Lake County, IN · ≈39 miF75—

Compare these counties side-by-side →

Berrien County ranks #82 of 83 ranked Michigan counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Michigan: Macomb County (A · 28), Oakland County (A · 29), Washtenaw County (B · 31). See all Michigan 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.

Open the full Berrien County profile → Request a demo

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 →