Lehigh County
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania: solar permitting grade D (score 52/100, 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 52/100 |
| Population | 383,116 |
| Solar ordinance | Active solar ordinance on the books |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Improving (ordinance direction easing) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Lehigh 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 Lehigh County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Allentown city
- Bethlehem city
- Alburtis borough
- Catasauqua borough
- Coopersburg borough
- Coplay borough
- Emmaus borough
- Fountain Hill borough
- Macungie borough
- Slatington borough
- Hanover township
- Heidelberg township
- Lower Macungie township
- Lower Milford township
- Lowhill township
- Lynn township
- North Whitehall township
- Salisbury township
- South Whitehall township
- Upper Macungie township
- Upper Milford township
- Upper Saucon township
- Washington township
- Weisenberg township
Show all
- Whitehall township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Northampton County · ≈18 miB40—
- Carbon County · ≈22 miB41—
- Berks County · ≈22 miD56—
- Montgomery County · ≈30 miB33—
- Bucks County · ≈32 miB41—
- Schuylkill County · ≈33 miD61—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Lehigh County ranks #48 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.