Williams County
Williams County, North Dakota: solar permitting grade B (score 34/100, 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 34/100 |
| Population | 37,589 |
| Solar ordinance | Active solar ordinance on the books |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Stable (no material ordinance movement) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Williams County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation.
Local intel
On file: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Williams County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Alamo city
- Epping city
- Grenora city
- Ray city
- Springbrook city
- Tioga city
- Wildrose city
- Williston city
- Athens township
- Barr Butte township
- Big Meadow township
- Big Stone township
- Blacktail township
- Blue Ridge township
- Bonetraill township
- Brooklyn township
- Buford township
- Bull Butte township
- Champion township
- Climax township
- Dry Fork township
- Dublin township
- East Fork township
- Ellisville township
Show all
- Equality township
- Farmvale township
- Good Luck township
- Grenora township
- Hardscrabble township
- Hazel township
- Hebron township
- Judson township
- Lindahl township
- Marshall township
- Missouri Ridge township
- Mont township
- New Home township
- Oliver township
- Orthell township
- Pherrin township
- Pleasant Valley township
- Rainbow township
- Rock Island township
- Round Prairie township
- Sauk Valley township
- Scorio township
- South Meadow township
- Springbrook township
- Stony Creek township
- Strandahl township
- Tioga township
- Trenton township
- Truax township
- Twelve Mile township
- Tyrone township
- View township
- West Bank township
- Wheelock township
- Williston township
- Winner township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Divide County · ≈33 miC43—
- McKenzie County · ≈42 miC42—
- Mountrail County · ≈52 miB36—
- Burke County · ≈54 miC44—
- Sheridan County, MT · ≈54 miB32—
- Richland County, MT · ≈63 miB33—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Williams County ranks #6 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.