Adams County
Adams County, Pennsylvania: solar permitting grade C (score 43/100, Elevated Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | C · Elevated Risk · Score 43/100 |
| Population | 103,009 |
| 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
Adams County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement. Market saturation is elevated in this area — expect competition for prime land parcels and interconnection capacity.
Local intel
On file: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
In Pennsylvania, townships hold their own zoning and land-use authority, so the rules for a site in Adams County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Abbottstown borough
- Arendtsville borough
- Bendersville borough
- Biglerville borough
- Bonneauville borough
- Carroll Valley borough
- East Berlin borough
- Fairfield borough
- Gettysburg borough
- Littlestown borough
- McSherrystown borough
- New Oxford borough
- York Springs borough
- Berwick township
- Butler township
- Conewago township
- Cumberland township
- Franklin township
- Freedom township
- Germany township
- Hamilton township
- Hamiltonban township
- Highland township
- Huntington township
Show all
- Latimore township
- Liberty township
- Menallen township
- Mount Joy township
- Mount Pleasant township
- Oxford township
- Reading township
- Straban township
- Tyrone township
- Union township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Cumberland County · ≈21 miB40—
- Carroll County, MD · ≈24 miF66—
- York County · ≈26 miD53—
- Franklin County · ≈27 miD55—
- Frederick County, MD · ≈29 miD65—
- Perry County · ≈37 miB36—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Adams County ranks #18 of 67 ranked Pennsylvania counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Pennsylvania: Montgomery County (B · 33), Monroe County (B · 35), Perry County (B · 36). See all Pennsylvania 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.