Carver County
Carver County, Minnesota: solar permitting grade D (score 56/100, High Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | D · High Risk · Score 56/100 |
| Population | 109,064 |
| 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
Carver County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable. 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: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Carver County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Carver city
- Chanhassen city
- Chaska city
- Cologne city
- Hamburg city
- Mayer city
- New Germany city
- Norwood Young America city
- Shorewood city
- Victoria city
- Waconia city
- Watertown city
- Benton township
- Camden township
- Dahlgren township
- Hancock township
- Hollywood township
- Laketown township
- San Francisco township
- Waconia township
- Watertown township
- Young America township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Scott County · ≈18 miB36—
- Hennepin County · ≈20 miA27—
- McLeod County · ≈23 miB35—
- Wright County · ≈26 miB41—
- Sibley County · ≈27 miC43—
- Le Sueur County · ≈31 miD55—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Carver County ranks #87 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.
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.