Ottawa County
Ottawa County, Ohio: solar permitting grade D (score 59/100, High Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | D · High Risk · Score 59/100 |
| Population | 40,525 |
| Solar ordinance | Ordinance status documented in detail |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Worsening (ordinance direction tightening) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Ottawa County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable.
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: Erie County (≈25 mi) · Lucas County (≈26 mi) · Seneca County (≈30 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Ottawa County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Port Clinton city
- Clay Center village
- Elmore village
- Genoa village
- Marblehead village
- Oak Harbor village
- Put-in-Bay village
- Rocky Ridge village
- Allen township
- Bay township
- Benton township
- Carroll township
- Catawba Island township
- Clay township
- Danbury township
- Erie township
- Harris township
- Portage township
- Put-in-Bay township
- Salem township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Sandusky County · ≈15 miC46—
- Erie County · ≈25 miD52—
- Lucas County · ≈26 miC45—
- Seneca County · ≈30 miD53—
- Wood County · ≈34 miD62—
- Huron County · ≈35 miC46—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Ottawa County ranks #62 of 88 ranked Ohio counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Ohio: Tuscarawas County (B · 36), Vinton County (B · 36), Hamilton County (B · 37). See all Ohio 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.