Chautauqua County
Chautauqua County, New York: 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 | 126,903 |
| Solar ordinance | No specific solar ordinance recorded |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Stable (no material ordinance movement) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Chautauqua County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement. New York'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 York, towns hold their own zoning and land-use authority, so the rules for a site in Chautauqua County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Dunkirk city
- Jamestown city
- Arkwright town
- Busti town
- Carroll town
- Charlotte town
- Chautauqua townrules on file
- Cherry Creek town
- Clymer town
- Dunkirk town
- Ellery town
- Ellicott town
- Ellington town
- French Creek town
- Gerry town
- Hanover town
- Harmony town
- Kiantone town
- Mina town
- North Harmony town
- Poland town
- Pomfret town
- Portland town
- Ripley townrules on file
Show all
- Sheridan town
- Sherman town
- Stockton town
- Villenova town
- Westfield town
- Bemus Point village
- Brocton village
- Cassadaga village
- Celoron village
- Falconer village
- Fredonia village
- Lakewood village
- Mayville village
- Panama village
- Sherman village
- Silver Creek village
- Sinclairville village
- Westfield village
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Warren County, PA · ≈32 miC49—
- Cattaraugus County · ≈37 miD59—
- Erie County, PA · ≈38 miB36—
- Erie County · ≈45 miB35—
- McKean County, PA · ≈55 miD58—
- Forest County, PA · ≈55 miD52—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Chautauqua County ranks #40 of 62 ranked New York counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in New York: Bronx County (A · 27), Hamilton County (A · 27), Saratoga County (A · 29). See all New York 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.