Does Hennepin County, Minnesota have a solar moratorium?

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

What is Hennepin County’s solar permitting risk grade?

Hennepin County, Minnesota has a SitePath solar permitting grade of A — risk score 27/100 (Low 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 Hennepin 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 › Hennepin County

Minnesota

Hennepin County

FIPS 27053

Hennepin County, Minnesota: solar permitting grade A (score 27/100, Low Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.

Score 27/100

Low Risk

Public summary

Grade	A · Low Risk · Score 27/100
Population	1,281,565
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

Hennepin County is among the lower-risk jurisdictions in Minnesota for utility-scale solar development — ordinance conditions are favorable and permitting history is constructive. 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

See full meetings + dockets + opposition tracking →

Cities, towns & townships

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

Bloomington city
Brooklyn Center city
Brooklyn Park city
Champlin city
Chanhassen citypartly in this county
Corcoran city
Crystal city
Dayton city
Deephaven city
Eden Prairie city
Edina city
Excelsior city
Golden Valley city
Greenfield city
Greenwood city
Hanover city
Hopkins city
Independence city
Long Lake city
Loretto city
Maple Grove city
Maple Plain city
Medicine Lake city
Medina city

Show all

Minneapolis city
Minnetonka Beach city
Minnetonka city
Minnetrista city
Mound city
New Hope city
Orono city
Osseo city
Plymouth city
Richfield city
Robbinsdale city
Rockford city
Rogers city
Shorewood citypartly in this county
Spring Park city
St. Anthony city
St. Bonifacius city
St. Louis Park city
Tonka Bay city
Wayzata city
Woodland city

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

Nearby counties

Ramsey County · ≈18 miA26—
Carver County · ≈20 miD56—
Anoka County · ≈22 miB31—
Scott County · ≈25 miB36—
Wright County · ≈27 miB41—
Washington County · ≈29 miB37—

Compare these counties side-by-side →

Hennepin County ranks #2 of 87 ranked Minnesota counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Minnesota: Ramsey County (A · 26), Rock County (A · 28), Saint Louis County (A · 29). 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 Hennepin 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 →