Lackawanna County
Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania: solar permitting grade D (score 62/100, 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 62/100 |
| Population | 215,730 |
| 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
Lackawanna County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable.
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 Lackawanna County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Carbondale city
- Scranton city
- Archbald borough
- Blakely borough
- Clarks Green borough
- Clarks Summit borough
- Dalton borough
- Dickson City borough
- Dunmore borough
- Jermyn borough
- Jessup borough
- Mayfield borough
- Moosic borough
- Moscow borough
- Old Forge borough
- Olyphant borough
- Taylor borough
- Throop borough
- Vandling borough
- Benton township
- Carbondale township
- Clifton township
- Covington township
- Elmhurst township
Show all
- Fell township
- Glenburn township
- Greenfield township
- Jefferson township
- La Plume township
- Madison township
- Newton township
- North Abington township
- Ransom township
- Roaring Brook township
- Scott township
- South Abington township
- Spring Brook township
- Thornhurst township
- Waverly township
- West Abington township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Wyoming County · ≈21 miB38—
- Wayne County · ≈22 miC49—
- Luzerne County · ≈27 miC51—
- Susquehanna County · ≈28 miC48—
- Monroe County · ≈30 miB35—
- Pike County · ≈31 miC42—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Lackawanna County ranks #65 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.