Does Dakota County, Minnesota have a solar moratorium?

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

What is Dakota County’s solar permitting risk grade?

Dakota County, Minnesota has a SitePath solar permitting grade of B — risk score 36/100 (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 Dakota 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 › Dakota County

Minnesota

Dakota County

FIPS 27037

Dakota 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.

Score 36/100

Moderate Risk

Public summary

Grade	B · Moderate Risk · Score 36/100
Population	439,882
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

Dakota 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. Market saturation is elevated in this area — expect competition for prime land parcels and interconnection capacity.

Local intel

On file: named opposition groups

See full meetings + dockets + opposition tracking →

Cities, towns & townships

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

Apple Valley city
Burnsville city
Coates city
Eagan city
Farmington city
Hampton city
Hastings city
Inver Grove Heights city
Lakeville city
Lilydale city
Mendota Heights city
Mendota city
Miesville city
New Trier city
Northfield city
Randolph city
Rosemount city
South St. Paul city
Sunfish Lake city
Vermillion city
West St. Paul city
Castle Rock township
Douglas township
Empire township

Show all

Eureka township
Greenvale township
Hampton township
Marshan township
Nininger township
Randolph township
Ravenna township
Sciota township
Vermillion township
Waterford township

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

Nearby counties

Scott County · ≈23 miB36—
Ramsey County · ≈24 miA26—
Rice County · ≈25 miB36—
Goodhue County · ≈25 miC45—
Washington County · ≈27 miB37—
Hennepin County · ≈31 miA27—

Compare these counties side-by-side →

Dakota County ranks #31 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 Dakota 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 →