Rock County
Rock County, Minnesota: solar permitting grade A (score 28/100, Low Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | A · Low Risk · Score 28/100 |
| Population | 9,397 |
| Solar ordinance | Active solar ordinance on the books |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Improving (ordinance direction easing) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Rock County is among the lower-risk jurisdictions in Minnesota for utility-scale solar development — ordinance conditions are favorable and permitting history is constructive. 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: Lyon County (≈20 mi) · Pipestone County (≈24 mi) · Nobles County (≈25 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Rock County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Beaver Creek city
- Hardwick city
- Hills city
- Jasper citypartly in this county
- Kenneth city
- Luverne city
- Magnolia city
- Steen city
- Battle Plain township
- Beaver Creek township
- Clinton township
- Denver township
- Kanaranzi township
- Luverne township
- Magnolia township
- Martin township
- Mound township
- Rose Dell township
- Springwater township
- Vienna township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Lyon County, IA · ≈20 miB31—
- Pipestone County · ≈24 miC44—
- Nobles County · ≈25 miC49—
- Minnehaha County, SD · ≈27 miB40—
- Moody County, SD · ≈31 miC42—
- Murray County · ≈35 miC43—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Rock County ranks #3 of 87 ranked Minnesota counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Minnesota: Ramsey County (A · 26), Hennepin County (A · 27), Saint Louis County (A · 29). 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.