Does McLean County, North Dakota have a solar moratorium?

No. As of 2026-05-02, McLean County, North Dakota has no active solar moratorium on record. Score has been stable over the last 12 months.

What is McLean County’s solar permitting risk grade?

McLean County, North Dakota has a SitePath solar permitting grade of A — risk score 30/100 (Low Risk). Grades are based on primary-source county ordinances, board votes, and permitting activity, reviewed as of 2026-05-02.

What are the solar permitting rules in McLean County, North Dakota?

Ordinance status: No specific solar ordinance recorded. Score has been stable over the last 12 months. See the full primary-source record — ordinance links, setbacks, board actions, and project history — on this page.

SitePath › County map › North Dakota › McLean County

North Dakota

McLean County

FIPS 38055

McLean County, North Dakota: solar permitting grade A (score 30/100, Low Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.

Score 30/100

Low Risk

Public summary

Grade	A · Low Risk · Score 30/100
Population	9,450
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

McLean County is among the lower-risk jurisdictions in North Dakota for utility-scale solar development — ordinance conditions are favorable and permitting history is constructive.

Local intel

On file: named opposition groups

See full meetings + dockets + opposition tracking →

Cities, towns & townships

Local governments in McLean County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.

Benedict city
Butte city
Coleharbor city
Garrison city
Max city
Mercer city
Riverdale city
Ruso city
Turtle Lake city
Underwood city
Washburn city
Wilton citypartly in this county
Amundsville township
Andrews township
Aurena township
Blackwater township
Butte township
Byersville township
Cremerville township
Deepwater township
Dogden township
Douglas township
Gate township
Greatstone township

Show all

Horseshoe Valley township
Lake Williams township
Longfellow township
Loquemont township
Malcolm township
McGinnis township
Medicine Hill township
Mercer township
Otis township
Roseglen township
Rosemont township
Snow township
St. Mary township
Turtle Lake township
Victoria township
Wise township

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.

Nearby counties

Mercer County · ≈31 miB35—
Oliver County · ≈37 miD57—
Ward County · ≈39 miB42—
Sheridan County · ≈51 miC44—
McHenry County · ≈54 miC43—
Mountrail County · ≈58 miB36—

Compare these counties side-by-side →

McLean County ranks #2 of 53 ranked North Dakota counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in North Dakota: Dunn County (A · 29), Dickey County (B · 30), Benson 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.

Open the full McLean County profile → Request a demo

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 →