Salem County
Salem County, New Jersey: 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 | 64,837 |
| 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
Salem County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement. New Jersey'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
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: Gloucester County (≈15 mi) · Cumberland County (≈21 mi) · Delaware County (≈24 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
In New Jersey, townships hold their own zoning and land-use authority, so the rules for a site in Salem County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Salem city
- Elmer borough
- Penns Grove borough
- Woodstown borough
- Alloway township
- Carneys Point townshiprules on file
- Elsinboro township
- Lower Alloways Creek township
- Mannington township
- Oldmans township
- Pennsville township
- Pilesgrove townshiprules on file
- Pittsgrove townshiprules on file
- Quinton townshiprules on file
- Upper Pittsgrove township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Gloucester County · ≈15 miB36—
- New Castle County, DE · ≈15 miC47—
- Cumberland County · ≈21 miC44—
- Delaware County, PA · ≈24 miC46—
- Camden County · ≈26 miB40—
- Cecil County, MD · ≈31 miC49—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Salem County ranks #13 of 21 ranked New Jersey counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in New Jersey: Somerset County (B · 32), Burlington County (B · 33), Passaic County (B · 35). See all New Jersey 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.