Renville County
Renville County, Minnesota: solar permitting grade B (score 37/100, 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 37/100 |
| Population | 14,721 |
| 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
Renville 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
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Renville County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Bird Island city
- Buffalo Lake city
- Danube city
- Fairfax city
- Franklin city
- Hector city
- Morton city
- Olivia city
- Renville city
- Sacred Heart city
- Bandon township
- Beaver Falls township
- Birch Cooley township
- Bird Island township
- Boon Lake township
- Brookfield township
- Cairo township
- Camp township
- Crooks township
- Emmet township
- Ericson township
- Flora township
- Hawk Creek township
- Hector township
Show all
- Henryville township
- Kingman township
- Martinsburg township
- Melville township
- Norfolk township
- Osceola township
- Palmyra township
- Preston Lake township
- Sacred Heart township
- Troy township
- Wang township
- Wellington township
- Winfield township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Redwood County · ≈27 miC43—
- Kandiyohi County · ≈30 miC43—
- McLeod County · ≈34 miB35—
- Meeker County · ≈35 miC49—
- Brown County · ≈35 miB36—
- Chippewa County · ≈36 miB40—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Renville County ranks #46 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.