Polk County
Polk County, Minnesota: solar permitting grade B (score 35/100, 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 35/100 |
| Population | 31,364 |
| 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
Polk 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 (≈50 mi) · Becker County (≈66 mi) · Cass County (≈71 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Polk County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Beltrami city
- Climax city
- Crookston city
- East Grand Forks city
- Erskine city
- Fertile city
- Fisher city
- Fosston city
- Gully city
- Lengby city
- McIntosh city
- Mentor city
- Nielsville city
- Trail city
- Winger city
- Andover township
- Angus township
- Badger township
- Belgium township
- Brandsvold township
- Brandt township
- Brislet township
- Bygland township
- Chester township
Show all
- Columbia township
- Crookston township
- Eden township
- Esther township
- Euclid township
- Fairfax township
- Fanny township
- Farley township
- Fisher township
- Garden township
- Garfield township
- Gentilly township
- Godfrey township
- Grand Forks township
- Grove Park-Tilden township
- Gully township
- Hammond township
- Helgeland township
- Higdem township
- Hill River township
- Hubbard township
- Huntsville township
- Johnson township
- Kertsonville township
- Keystone township
- King township
- Knute township
- Lessor township
- Liberty township
- Lowell township
- Nesbit township
- Northland township
- Onstad township
- Parnell township
- Queen township
- Reis township
- Rhinehart township
- Roome township
- Rosebud township
- Russia township
- Sandsville township
- Scandia township
- Sletten township
- Sullivan township
- Tabor township
- Tynsid township
- Vineland township
- Winger township
- Woodside township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Red Lake County · ≈16 miB41—
- Pennington County · ≈26 miB36—
- Norman County · ≈31 miB36—
- Marshall County · ≈41 miB36—
- Mahnomen County · ≈41 miB37—
- Traill County, ND · ≈42 miC42—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Polk County ranks #11 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.