Berks County
Berks County, Pennsylvania: solar permitting grade D (score 54/100, 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 54/100 |
| Population | 434,721 |
| 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
Berks County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable. 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 Berks County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Reading city
- Adamstown borough
- Bally borough
- Bechtelsville borough
- Bernville borough
- Birdsboro borough
- Boyertown borough
- Centerport borough
- Fleetwood borough
- Hamburg borough
- Kenhorst borough
- Kutztown borough
- Laureldale borough
- Leesport borough
- Lenhartsville borough
- Lyons borough
- Mohnton borough
- Mount Penn borough
- New Morgan borough
- Robesonia borough
- Shillington borough
- Shoemakersville borough
- Sinking Spring borough
- St. Lawrence borough
Show all
- Topton borough
- Wernersville borough
- West Reading borough
- Womelsdorf borough
- Wyomissing borough
- Albany township
- Alsace township
- Amity township
- Bern township
- Bethel township
- Brecknock township
- Caernarvon township
- Centre township
- Colebrookdale township
- Cumru township
- District township
- Douglass township
- Earl township
- Exeter township
- Greenwich township
- Heidelberg township
- Hereford township
- Jefferson township
- Longswamp township
- Lower Alsace township
- Lower Heidelberg township
- Maidencreek township
- Marion township
- Maxatawny township
- Muhlenberg township
- North Heidelberg township
- Oley township
- Ontelaunee township
- Penn township
- Perry township
- Pike township
- Richmond township
- Robeson township
- Rockland township
- Ruscombmanor township
- South Heidelberg township
- Spring township
- Tilden township
- Tulpehocken township
- Union township
- Upper Bern township
- Upper Tulpehocken township
- Washington township
- Windsor township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Lehigh County · ≈22 miC51—
- Schuylkill County · ≈25 miD59—
- Lebanon County · ≈28 miC46—
- Lancaster County · ≈31 miD58—
- Chester County · ≈32 miD61—
- Montgomery County · ≈33 miB33—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Berks County ranks #50 of 67 ranked Pennsylvania counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Pennsylvania: Montgomery County (B · 33), Monroe County (B · 35), Allegheny County (B · 35). 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.