Cass County
Cass County, Minnesota: solar permitting grade B (score 36/100, 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 36/100 |
| Population | 29,552 |
| 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
Cass 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: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Cass County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Backus city
- Bena city
- Boy River city
- Cass Lake city
- Chickamaw Beach city
- East Gull Lake city
- Federal Dam city
- Hackensack city
- Lake Shore city
- Longville city
- Motley city
- Pillager city
- Pine River city
- Remer city
- Walker city
- Ansel township
- Barclay township
- Becker township
- Beulah township
- Birch Lake township
- Blind Lake township
- Boy Lake township
- Boy River township
- Bull Moose township
Show all
- Bungo township
- Byron township
- Crooked Lake township
- Deerfield township
- Fairview township
- Gould township
- Hiram township
- Home Brook township
- Inguadona township
- Kego township
- Leech Lake township
- Loon Lake township
- Maple township
- May township
- McKinley township
- Meadow Brook township
- Moose Lake township
- Otter Tail Peninsula township
- Pike Bay township
- Pine Lake township
- Pine River township
- Ponto Lake township
- Poplar township
- Powers township
- Remer township
- Rogers township
- Salem township
- Shingobee township
- Slater township
- Smoky Hollow township
- Sylvan township
- Thunder Lake township
- Torrey township
- Trelipe township
- Turtle Lake township
- Wabedo township
- Walden township
- Wilkinson township
- Wilson township
- Woodrow township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Hubbard County · ≈29 miB36—
- Crow Wing County · ≈34 miB30—
- Wadena County · ≈40 miC45—
- Aitkin County · ≈50 miB36—
- Itasca County · ≈50 miB36—
- Morrison County · ≈64 miB40—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Cass County ranks #40 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.