Cumberland County
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania: solar permitting grade B (score 40/100, 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 40/100 |
| Population | 272,042 |
| 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
Cumberland County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation.
Local intel
On file: energy-related meetings · named opposition groups
- 2026-09-17Data CenterThe Clean Air Board requested municipalities and the county to support air quality monitoring requirements at the time of development. · agenda
- 2026-08-20Data CenterCumberland County Planning Commission adopted data center requirements for Hampden, Lower Allen, and South Newton Townships. · agenda
- 2026-08-20Data CenterClean Air Board requested air quality monitoring requirements for data center development. · agenda
Cities, towns & townships
In Pennsylvania, townships hold their own zoning and land-use authority, so the rules for a site in Cumberland County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Camp Hill borough
- Carlisle borough
- Lemoyne borough
- Mechanicsburg borough
- Mount Holly Springs borough
- New Cumberland borough
- Newburg borough
- Newville borough
- Shippensburg borough
- Shiremanstown borough
- Wormleysburg borough
- Cooke township
- Dickinson township
- East Pennsboro township
- Hampden township
- Hopewell township
- Lower Allen township
- Lower Frankford township
- Lower Mifflin township
- Middlesex township
- Monroe township
- North Middleton township
- North Newton township
- Penn township
Show all
- Shippensburg township
- Silver Spring township
- South Middleton township
- South Newton township
- Southampton township
- Upper Allen township
- Upper Frankford township
- Upper Mifflin township
- West Pennsboro township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Perry County · ≈16 miB36—
- Adams County · ≈21 miC43—
- Juniata County · ≈26 miC48—
- Franklin County · ≈29 miD55—
- Dauphin County · ≈30 miB41—
- York County · ≈33 miD53—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Cumberland County ranks #10 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.