Brown County
Brown County, South Dakota: solar permitting grade B (score 41/100, 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 41/100 |
| Population | 38,839 |
| 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
Brown County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation.
Local intel
No energy-related meetings, PSC dockets, or named opposition tracked for this county yet. See indexed calendar →
Nearby counties where SitePath is tracking energy activity: Dickey County (≈36 mi) · Day County (≈40 mi) · Walworth County (≈82 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Brown County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Aberdeen city
- Columbia city
- Groton city
- Hecla city
- Claremont town
- Frederick town
- Stratford town
- Verdon town
- Warner town
- Westport town
- Aberdeen township
- Allison township
- Bates township
- Bath township
- Brainard township
- Cambria township
- Carlisle township
- Claremont township
- Columbia township
- East Hanson township
- East Rondell township
- Franklyn township
- Frederick township
- Garden Prairie township
Show all
- Garland township
- Gem township
- Greenfield township
- Groton township
- Hecla township
- Henry township
- Highland township
- Lansing township
- Liberty township
- Lincoln township
- Mercier township
- New Hope township
- North Detroit township
- Oneota township
- Ordway township
- Osceola township
- Palmyra township
- Portage township
- Prairiewood township
- Putney township
- Ravinia township
- Richland township
- Riverside township
- Savo township
- Shelby township
- South Detroit township
- Warner township
- West Hanson township
- West Rondell township
- Westport township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Dickey County, ND · ≈36 miB30—
- Marshall County · ≈39 miB36—
- Day County · ≈40 miC50—
- Edmunds County · ≈43 miC43—
- McPherson County · ≈44 miC49—
- Spink County · ≈45 miB36—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Brown County ranks #31 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.
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.