Does Sherburne County, Minnesota have a solar moratorium?

No. As of 2026-05-02, Sherburne County, Minnesota has no active solar moratorium on record. Score has been stable over the last 12 months.

What is Sherburne County’s solar permitting risk grade?

Sherburne County, Minnesota has a SitePath solar permitting grade of C — risk score 45/100 (Elevated Risk). Grades are based on primary-source county ordinances, board votes, and permitting activity, reviewed as of 2026-05-02.

What are the solar permitting rules in Sherburne County, Minnesota?

Ordinance status: Ordinance status documented in detail. Score has been stable over the last 12 months. See the full primary-source record — ordinance links, setbacks, board actions, and project history — on this page.

SitePath › County map › Minnesota › Sherburne County

Minnesota

Sherburne County

FIPS 27141

Sherburne County, Minnesota: solar permitting grade C (score 45/100, Elevated Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.

Score 45/100

Elevated Risk

Public summary

Grade	C · Elevated Risk · Score 45/100
Population	99,269
Solar ordinance	Ordinance status documented in detail
Active moratorium	None on record
Regulatory trajectory	Improving (ordinance direction easing)
12-month score movement	Stable
Last verified	2026-05-02

Developer outlook

Sherburne County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement. 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

See full meetings + dockets + opposition tracking →

Cities, towns & townships

Local governments in Sherburne County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.

Becker city
Big Lake city
Clear Lake city
Elk River city
Princeton citypartly in this county
St. Cloud citypartly in this county
Zimmerman city
Baldwin township
Becker township
Big Lake township
Blue Hill township
Clear Lake township
Haven township
Livonia township
Orrock township
Palmer township
Santiago township

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.

Nearby counties

Wright County · ≈21 miB41—
Benton County · ≈21 miC46—
Isanti County · ≈25 miB40—
Anoka County · ≈28 miB31—
Hennepin County · ≈34 miA27—
Mille Lacs County · ≈34 miB36—

Compare these counties side-by-side →

Sherburne County ranks #75 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.

Open the full Sherburne County profile → Request a demo

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 →