Does Carlton County, Minnesota have a solar moratorium?

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

What is Carlton County’s solar permitting risk grade?

Carlton County, Minnesota has a SitePath solar permitting grade of B — risk score 41/100 (Moderate 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 Carlton 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 › Carlton County

Minnesota

Carlton County

FIPS 27017

Carlton County, Minnesota: 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.

Score 41/100

Moderate Risk

Public summary

Grade	B · Moderate Risk · Score 41/100
Population	36,649
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

Carlton County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation. Minnesota'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

2026-09-01Solar
Definition of renewable energy and land and water improvement terms were discussed. · agenda
2026-08-24Data Center
Carlton County adopted an interim ordinance for a data center study. · agenda
2026-07-07Data Center
The Carlton County Land Stewards approved a special-use permit application for a 150 MW solar farm. · agenda

See full meetings + dockets + opposition tracking →

Cities, towns & townships

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

Barnum city
Carlton city
Cloquet city
Cromwell city
Kettle River city
Moose Lake city
Scanlon city
Wrenshall city
Wright city
Atkinson township
Automba township
Barnum township
Beseman township
Blackhoof township
Eagle township
Holyoke township
Kalevala township
Lakeview township
Mahtowa township
Moose Lake township
Perch Lake township
Silver Brook township
Silver township
Skelton township

Show all

Split Rock township
Thomson township
Twin Lakes township
Wrenshall township

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

Nearby counties

Pine County · ≈35 miB40—
Aitkin County · ≈36 miB36—
Douglas County, WI · ≈38 miB38—
Burnett County, WI · ≈53 miB39—
Kanabec County · ≈54 miB36—
Washburn County, WI · ≈65 miB40—

Compare these counties side-by-side →

Carlton County ranks #62 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 Carlton 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 →