Pennington County
Pennington 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 | 14,165 |
| 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
Pennington 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: Grand Forks County (≈66 mi) · Becker County (≈79 mi) · Cass County (≈97 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Pennington County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Goodridge city
- St. Hilaire city
- Thief River Falls city
- Black River township
- Bray township
- Cloverleaf township
- Deer Park township
- Goodridge township
- Hickory township
- Highlanding township
- Kratka township
- Mayfield township
- Norden township
- North township
- Numedal township
- Polk Centre township
- Reiner township
- River Falls township
- Rocksbury township
- Sanders township
- Silverton township
- Smiley township
- Star township
- Wyandotte township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Red Lake County · ≈14 miB41—
- Marshall County · ≈25 miB36—
- Polk County · ≈26 miB35—
- Clearwater County · ≈46 miB37—
- Roseau County · ≈49 miB36—
- Beltrami County · ≈50 miB36—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Pennington County ranks #25 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.