Mercer County
Mercer 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 | 108,276 |
| 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
Mercer 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 Mercer County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Farrell city
- Hermitage city
- Sharon city
- Clark borough
- Fredonia borough
- Greenville borough
- Grove City borough
- Jackson Center borough
- Jamestown borough
- Mercer borough
- New Lebanon borough
- Sandy Lake borough
- Sharpsville borough
- Sheakleyville borough
- Stoneboro borough
- West Middlesex borough
- Wheatland borough
- Coolspring township
- Deer Creek township
- Delaware township
- East Lackawannock township
- Fairview township
- Findley township
- French Creek township
Show all
- Greene township
- Hempfield township
- Jackson township
- Jefferson township
- Lackawannock township
- Lake township
- Liberty township
- Mill Creek township
- New Vernon township
- Otter Creek township
- Perry township
- Pine township
- Pymatuning township
- Salem township
- Sandy Creek township
- Sandy Lake township
- Shenango township
- South Pymatuning township
- Springfield township
- Sugar Grove township
- West Salem township
- Wilmington township
- Wolf Creek township
- Worth township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Lawrence County · ≈22 miC42—
- Trumbull County, OH · ≈27 miC42—
- Venango County · ≈27 miD57—
- Crawford County · ≈28 miD52—
- Butler County · ≈32 miC43—
- Mahoning County, OH · ≈34 miC50—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Mercer County ranks #18 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.