Benson County
Benson County, North Dakota: 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 | 6,832 |
| 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
Benson County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation.
Local intel
No energy-related meetings, PSC dockets, or named opposition tracked for this county yet. See indexed calendar →
Nearby counties where SitePath is tracking energy activity: Grand Forks County (≈89 mi) · McLean County (≈100 mi) · Ward County (≈101 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Benson County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Brinsmade city
- Esmond city
- Knox city
- Leeds city
- Maddock city
- Minnewaukan city
- Oberon city
- Warwick city
- York city
- Albert township
- Arne township
- Aurora township
- Beaver township
- Broe township
- Butte Valley township
- East Fork township
- Eldon township
- Esmond township
- Hesper township
- Impark township
- Iowa township
- Irvine township
- Isabel township
- Knox township
Show all
- Lake Ibsen township
- Lallie township
- Leeds township
- Lohnes township
- McClellan township
- Minco township
- Mission township
- Normania township
- North Viking township
- Oberon township
- Pleasant Lake township
- Rich Valley township
- Riggin township
- Rock township
- South Viking township
- Twin Lake township
- Twin Tree township
- Warwick township
- West Antelope township
- West Bay township
- Wood Lake township
- York township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Pierce County · ≈30 miC43—
- Ramsey County · ≈32 miC42—
- Eddy County · ≈32 miC43—
- Wells County · ≈37 miC43—
- Towner County · ≈43 miC44—
- Foster County · ≈48 miB36—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Benson County ranks #12 of 53 ranked North Dakota counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in North Dakota: Dunn County (B · 30), McLean County (B · 30), Dickey County (B · 30). See all North Dakota 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.