Does Steele County, North Dakota have a solar moratorium?

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

What is Steele County’s solar permitting risk grade?

Steele County, North Dakota has a SitePath solar permitting grade of C — risk score 44/100 (Elevated 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 Steele 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 › Steele County

North Dakota

Steele County

FIPS 38091

Steele County, North Dakota: solar permitting grade C (score 44/100, Elevated Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.

Score 44/100

Elevated Risk

Public summary

Grade	C · Elevated Risk · Score 44/100
Population	1,887
Solar ordinance	No specific solar ordinance recorded
Active moratorium	None on record
Regulatory trajectory	Worsening (ordinance direction tightening)
12-month score movement	Stable
Last verified	2026-05-02

Developer outlook

Steele County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement.

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 (≈35 mi) · Cass County (≈43 mi) · Richland County (≈90 mi)

Browse all North Dakota county grades →

Cities, towns & townships

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

Finley city
Hope city
Luverne city
Sharon city
Beaver Creek township
Broadlawn township
Carpenter township
Colgate township
Easton township
Edendale township
Enger township
Finley township
Franklin township
Golden Lake township
Greenview township
Hugo township
Melrose township
Newburgh township
Primrose township
Riverside township
Sharon township
Sherbrooke township
Westfield township
Willow Lake township

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

Nearby counties

Griggs County · ≈24 miC44—
Traill County · ≈26 miC42—
Grand Forks County · ≈35 miB34—
Nelson County · ≈39 miC44—
Barnes County · ≈39 miC42—
Cass County · ≈43 miB35—

Compare these counties side-by-side →

Steele County ranks #46 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.

Open the full Steele 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 →