Does Benton County, Minnesota have a solar moratorium?

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

What is Benton County’s solar permitting risk grade?

Benton County, Minnesota has a SitePath solar permitting grade of C — risk score 46/100 (Elevated 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 Benton County, Minnesota?

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 › Minnesota › Benton County

Minnesota

Benton County

FIPS 27009

Benton County, Minnesota: solar permitting grade C (score 46/100, Elevated Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.

Score 46/100

Elevated Risk

Public summary

Grade	C · Elevated Risk · Score 46/100
Population	43,588
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

Benton County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement. Minnesota'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

On file: energy-related meetings

2026-09-14BESS
Consider taking a position on the Proposed 100MW Mayhew Lake Battery Energy Storage Project in Sauk Rapids Township. · agenda
2026-09-01BESS
Benton County considers taking a position on the proposed 100MW Mayhew Lake Battery Energy Storage Project. · agenda
2026-09-01BESS
NextEra Energy Resources' proposed 100MW battery energy storage system project was discussed. · agenda

See full meetings + dockets + opposition tracking →

Cities, towns & townships

Local governments in Benton County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.

Foley city
Gilman city
Rice city
Royalton city
Sartell city
Sauk Rapids city
St. Cloud city
Alberta township
Gilmanton township
Glendorado township
Graham township
Granite Ledge township
Langola township
Mayhew Lake township
Maywood township
Minden township
Sauk Rapids township
St. George township
Watab township

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

Nearby counties

Sherburne County · ≈21 miC45—
Mille Lacs County · ≈24 miB36—
Morrison County · ≈25 miB40—
Stearns County · ≈31 miB36—
Isanti County · ≈35 miB40—
Wright County · ≈36 miB41—

Compare these counties side-by-side →

Benton County ranks #79 of 87 ranked Minnesota counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Minnesota: Ramsey County (A · 26), Hennepin County (A · 27), Rock County (A · 28). See all Minnesota 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 Benton 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 →