Ottawa County
Ottawa County, Michigan: 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 | 300,295 |
| Solar ordinance | Active solar ordinance on the books |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Improving (ordinance direction easing) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Ottawa County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation. Michigan's state RPS policy provides a supportive macro backdrop for renewables, even where individual county ordinances are restrictive.
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: Muskegon County (≈24 mi) · Racine County (≈41 mi) · Milwaukee County (≈42 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
In Michigan, townships hold their own zoning and land-use authority, so the rules for a site in Ottawa County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Coopersville city
- Ferrysburg city
- Grand Haven city
- Holland citypartly in this county
- Hudsonville city
- Zeeland city
- Spring Lake village
- Allendale charter township
- Blendon township
- Chester township
- Crockery township
- Georgetown charter township
- Grand Haven charter township
- Holland charter township
- Jamestown charter township
- Olive township
- Park township
- Polkton charter township
- Port Sheldon township
- Robinson township
- Spring Lake township
- Tallmadge charter township
- Wright township
- Zeeland charter township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Allegan County · ≈24 miB36—
- Muskegon County · ≈24 miB37—
- Racine County, WI · ≈41 miD59—
- Milwaukee County, WI · ≈42 miB42—
- Kenosha County, WI · ≈46 miC50—
- Van Buren County · ≈49 miC42—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Ottawa County ranks #7 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.
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.