Erie County
Erie County, New York: solar permitting grade B (score 35/100, 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 35/100 |
| Population | 953,757 |
| 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
Erie County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation. 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 Erie County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Buffalo city
- Lackawanna city
- Tonawanda city
- Alden town
- Amherst town
- Aurora town
- Boston town
- Brant town
- Cheektowaga town
- Clarence town
- Colden town
- Collins town
- Concord town
- Eden town
- Elma town
- Evans town
- Grand Island town
- Hamburg town
- Holland town
- Lancaster town
- Marilla town
- Newstead town
- North Collins town
- Orchard Park town
Show all
- Sardinia town
- Tonawanda town
- Wales town
- West Seneca town
- Akron village
- Alden village
- Angola village
- Blasdell village
- Depew village
- East Aurora village
- Farnham village
- Gowanda villagepartly in this county
- Hamburg village
- Kenmore village
- Lancaster village
- North Collins village
- Orchard Park village
- Sloan village
- Springville village
- Williamsville village
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Wyoming County · ≈28 miB40—
- Genesee County · ≈34 miD64—
- Cattaraugus County · ≈35 miD59—
- Chautauqua County · ≈45 miC44—
- Niagara County · ≈49 miD54—
- Livingston County · ≈51 miB38—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Erie County ranks #20 of 62 ranked New York counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in New York: Bronx County (A · 28), Saratoga County (B · 30), Queens County (B · 30). 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.