Jefferson County
Jefferson County, New York: solar permitting grade B (score 37/100, 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 37/100 |
| Population | 117,807 |
| 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
Jefferson 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 Jefferson County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Watertown city
- Adams town
- Alexandria town
- Antwerp town
- Brownville town
- Cape Vincent town
- Champion town
- Clayton town
- Ellisburg town
- Henderson town
- Hounsfield town
- Le Ray town
- Lorraine town
- Lyme town
- Orleans town
- Pamelia town
- Philadelphia town
- Rodman town
- Rutland town
- Theresa town
- Watertown town
- Wilna town
- Worth town
- Adams village
Show all
- Alexandria Bay village
- Antwerp village
- Black River village
- Brownville village
- Cape Vincent village
- Carthage village
- Chaumont village
- Clayton village
- Deferiet village
- Dexter village
- Ellisburg village
- Evans Mills village
- Glen Park village
- Mannsville village
- Philadelphia village
- Sackets Harbor village
- Theresa village
- West Carthage village
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Lewis County · ≈34 miB30—
- Oswego County · ≈38 miC43—
- Saint Lawrence County · ≈59 miC44—
- Oneida County · ≈61 miB41—
- Wayne County · ≈68 miB35—
- Herkimer County · ≈69 miB38—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Jefferson County ranks #23 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.