Butler County
Butler 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 | 202,897 |
| 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
Butler County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement.
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 Butler County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Butler city
- Bruin borough
- Callery borough
- Cherry Valley borough
- Chicora borough
- Connoquenessing borough
- East Butler borough
- Eau Claire borough
- Evans City borough
- Fairview borough
- Harmony borough
- Harrisville borough
- Karns City borough
- Mars borough
- Petrolia borough
- Portersville borough
- Prospect borough
- Saxonburg borough
- Seven Fields borough
- Slippery Rock borough
- Valencia borough
- West Liberty borough
- West Sunbury borough
- Zelienople borough
Show all
- Adams township
- Allegheny township
- Brady township
- Buffalo township
- Butler township
- Center township
- Cherry township
- Clay township
- Clearfield township
- Clinton township
- Concord township
- Connoquenessing township
- Cranberry township
- Donegal township
- Fairview township
- Forward township
- Franklin township
- Jackson township
- Jefferson township
- Lancaster township
- Marion township
- Mercer township
- Middlesex township
- Muddy Creek township
- Oakland township
- Parker township
- Penn township
- Slippery Rock township
- Summit township
- Venango township
- Washington township
- Winfield township
- Worth township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Lawrence County · ≈22 miC42—
- Armstrong County · ≈25 miD55—
- Beaver County · ≈28 miD55—
- Allegheny County · ≈31 miB35—
- Mercer County · ≈32 miC43—
- Clarion County · ≈33 miC49—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Butler County ranks #19 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.