Rice County
Rice 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 | 67,316 |
| 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
Rice 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 Rice County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Dennison citypartly in this county
- Dundas city
- Faribault city
- Lonsdale city
- Morristown city
- Nerstrand city
- Northfield citypartly in this county
- Bridgewater township
- Cannon City township
- Erin township
- Forest township
- Morristown township
- Northfield township
- Richland township
- Shieldsville township
- Walcott township
- Warsaw township
- Webster township
- Wells township
- Wheatland township
- Wheeling township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Le Sueur County · ≈21 miD55—
- Steele County · ≈24 miB35—
- Scott County · ≈24 miB36—
- Dakota County · ≈25 miB36—
- Waseca County · ≈27 miB36—
- Goodhue County · ≈29 miC45—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Rice County ranks #21 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.