Union County
Union County, New Jersey: solar permitting grade B (score 33/100, 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 33/100 |
| Population | 576,976 |
| Solar ordinance | No specific solar ordinance recorded |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Improving (ordinance direction easing) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Union County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation. 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
On file: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
In New Jersey, townships hold their own zoning and land-use authority, so the rules for a site in Union County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Elizabeth city
- Linden city
- Plainfield city
- Rahway city
- Summit city
- Westfield town
- Fanwood borough
- Garwood borough
- Kenilworth borough
- Mountainside borough
- New Providence borough
- Roselle Park borough
- Roselle borough
- Berkeley Heights township
- Clark township
- Cranford township
- Hillside township
- Scotch Plains township
- Springfield township
- Union township
- Winfield township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Essex County · ≈9 miB40—
- Richmond County, NY · ≈11 miB33—
- Hudson County · ≈13 miB34—
- Middlesex County · ≈16 miB40—
- Somerset County · ≈18 miB33—
- Morris County · ≈19 miB39—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Union County ranks #2 of 21 ranked New Jersey counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in New Jersey: Somerset County (B · 33), Burlington County (B · 33), Hudson County (B · 34). 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.