Does Brookings County, South Dakota have a solar moratorium?

No. As of 2026-05-02, Brookings County, South Dakota has no active solar moratorium on record. Score has been stable over the last 12 months.

What is Brookings County’s solar permitting risk grade?

Brookings County, South Dakota has a SitePath solar permitting grade of C — risk score 43/100 (Elevated Risk). Grades are based on primary-source county ordinances, board votes, and permitting activity, reviewed as of 2026-05-02.

What are the solar permitting rules in Brookings County, South Dakota?

Ordinance status: Active solar ordinance on the books. Score has been stable over the last 12 months. See the full primary-source record — ordinance links, setbacks, board actions, and project history — on this page.

SitePath › County map › South Dakota › Brookings County

South Dakota

Brookings County

FIPS 46011

Brookings County, South Dakota: 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.

Score 43/100

Elevated Risk

Public summary

Grade	C · Elevated Risk · Score 43/100
Population	35,032
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

Brookings County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement.

Local intel

On file: energy-related meetings

2026-10-06Transmission
Public Input Meeting for the PowerOn Midwest 765kV Project · agenda
2026-10-06Transmission
Brookings County discussed a transmission line project · agenda
2026-10-06BESS
Doral Renewables presented a battery storage development project and discussed its portfolio. · agenda

See full meetings + dockets + opposition tracking →

Cities, towns & townships

Local governments in Brookings County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.

Arlington city
Brookings city
Bruce city
Elkton city
Volga city
White city
Aurora town
Bushnell town
Sinai town
Afton township
Alton township
Argo township
Aurora township
Bangor township
Brookings township
Elkton township
Eureka township
Lake Hendricks township
Lake Sinai township
Laketon township
Medary township
Oak Lake township
Oakwood township
Oslo township

Show all

Parnell township
Preston township
Richland township
Sherman township
Sterling township
Trenton township
Volga township
Winsor township

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.

Nearby counties

Moody County · ≈26 miC42—
Lincoln County, MN · ≈26 miB36—
Deuel County · ≈27 miA28—
Hamlin County · ≈28 miC42—
Lake County · ≈29 miB42—
Kingsbury County · ≈35 miB36—

Compare these counties side-by-side →

Brookings County ranks #44 of 66 ranked South Dakota counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in South Dakota: Deuel County (A · 28), Walworth County (B · 30), Aurora County (B · 30). See all South Dakota 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.

Open the full Brookings County profile → Request a demo

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 →