Winona County
Winona County, Minnesota: solar permitting grade C (score 43/100, Elevated Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | C · Elevated Risk · Score 43/100 |
| Population | 49,671 |
| 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
Winona 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: energy-related meetings
- 2026-09-17SolarPlanning Commission discussed variances for earth sheltered solar energy systems · agenda
- 2026-07-16SolarPractical difficulties include, but are not limited to, inadequate access to direct sunlight for solar energy systems. · agenda
- 2026-05-21SolarWinona County Planning Commission approved a special-use permit application for a 150 MW solar farm. · agenda
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Winona County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Altura city
- Dakota city
- Elba city
- Goodview city
- La Crescent citypartly in this county
- Lewiston city
- Minneiska citypartly in this county
- Minnesota City city
- Rollingstone city
- St. Charles city
- Stockton city
- Utica city
- Winona city
- Dresbach township
- Elba township
- Fremont township
- Hart township
- Hillsdale township
- Homer township
- Mount Vernon township
- New Hartford township
- Norton township
- Pleasant Hill township
- Richmond township
Show all
- Rollingstone township
- Saratoga township
- St. Charles township
- Utica township
- Warren township
- Whitewater township
- Wilson township
- Wiscoy township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Houston County · ≈26 miB33—
- Fillmore County · ≈26 miB41—
- Buffalo County, WI · ≈28 miB33—
- Trempealeau County, WI · ≈30 miB41—
- Wabasha County · ≈31 miC45—
- Olmsted County · ≈31 miC42—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Winona County ranks #72 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.