Madison County
Madison County, New York: solar permitting grade B (score 36/100, 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 36/100 |
| Population | 69,755 |
| 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
Madison 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 Madison County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Oneida city
- Brookfield town
- Cazenovia town
- DeRuyter town
- Eaton town
- Fenner town
- Georgetown town
- Hamilton town
- Lebanon town
- Lenox town
- Lincoln town
- Madison town
- Nelson town
- Smithfield town
- Stockbridge town
- Sullivan town
- Canastota village
- Cazenovia village
- Chittenango village
- DeRuyter village
- Earlville villagepartly in this county
- Hamilton village
- Madison village
- Morrisville village
Show all
- Munnsville village
- Wampsville village
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Oneida County · ≈26 miB41—
- Onondaga County · ≈28 miD55—
- Chenango County · ≈29 miC47—
- Cortland County · ≈30 miC42—
- Otsego County · ≈38 miB37—
- Cayuga County · ≈47 miD64—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Madison County ranks #21 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.