Otter Tail County
Otter Tail 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 | 61,567 |
| 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
Otter Tail 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
No energy-related meetings, PSC dockets, or named opposition tracked for this county yet. See indexed calendar →
Nearby counties where SitePath is tracking energy activity: Grant County (≈36 mi) · Wilkin County (≈36 mi) · Wadena County (≈37 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Otter Tail County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Battle Lake city
- Bluffton city
- Clitherall city
- Dalton city
- Deer Creek city
- Dent city
- Elizabeth city
- Erhard city
- Fergus Falls city
- Henning city
- New York Mills city
- Ottertail city
- Parkers Prairie city
- Pelican Rapids city
- Perham city
- Richville city
- Rothsay city
- Underwood city
- Urbank city
- Vergas city
- Vining city
- Wadena city
- Aastad township
- Amor township
Show all
- Aurdal township
- Blowers township
- Bluffton township
- Buse township
- Butler township
- Candor township
- Carlisle township
- Clitherall township
- Compton township
- Corliss township
- Dane Prairie township
- Dead Lake township
- Deer Creek township
- Dora township
- Dunn township
- Eagle Lake township
- Eastern township
- Edna township
- Effington township
- Elizabeth township
- Elmo township
- Erhards Grove township
- Everts township
- Fergus Falls township
- Folden township
- Friberg township
- Girard township
- Gorman township
- Henning township
- Hobart township
- Homestead township
- Inman township
- Leaf Lake township
- Leaf Mountain township
- Lida township
- Maine township
- Maplewood township
- Newton township
- Nidaros township
- Norwegian Grove township
- Oak Valley township
- Orwell township
- Oscar township
- Otter Tail township
- Otto township
- Paddock township
- Parkers Prairie township
- Pelican township
- Perham township
- Pine Lake township
- Rush Lake township
- Scambler township
- St. Olaf township
- Star Lake township
- Sverdrup township
- Tordenskjold township
- Trondhjem township
- Tumuli township
- Western township
- Woodside township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Douglas County · ≈35 miB41—
- Grant County · ≈36 miB40—
- Wilkin County · ≈36 miB40—
- Wadena County · ≈37 miC45—
- Becker County · ≈37 miB36—
- Todd County · ≈45 miB30—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Otter Tail County ranks #28 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.