Does Hand County, South Dakota have a solar moratorium?

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

What is Hand County’s solar permitting risk grade?

Hand County, South Dakota has a SitePath solar permitting grade of C — risk score 44/100 (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 Hand 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 › Hand County

South Dakota

Hand County

FIPS 46059

Hand County, South Dakota: solar permitting grade C (score 44/100, Elevated Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.

Score 44/100

Elevated Risk

Public summary

Grade	C · Elevated Risk · Score 44/100
Population	3,178
Solar ordinance	Active solar ordinance on the books
Active moratorium	None on record
Regulatory trajectory	Worsening (ordinance direction tightening)
12-month score movement	Stable
Last verified	2026-05-02

Developer outlook

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

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: Aurora County (≈61 mi) · Walworth County (≈79 mi) · Day County (≈89 mi)

Browse all South Dakota county grades →

Cities, towns & townships

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

Miller city
Wessington citypartly in this county
Ree Heights town
St. Lawrence town
Alden township
Alpha township
Bates township
Burdette township
Campbell township
Carlton township
Cedar township
Como township
Florence township
Gilbert township
Glendale township
Grand township
Greenleaf township
Hiland township
Holden township
Hulbert township
Linn township
Logan township
Midland township
Miller township

Show all

Mondamin township
Ohio township
Ontario township
Park township
Pearl township
Plato township
Pleasant Valley township
Riverside township
Rockdale township
Rose Hill township
Spring Hill township
Spring Lake township
St. Lawrence township
Wheaton township
York township

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

Nearby counties

Hyde County · ≈24 miC49—
Buffalo County · ≈36 miB37—
Faulk County · ≈37 miC44—
Beadle County · ≈37 miC47—
Jerauld County · ≈38 miC43—
Spink County · ≈42 miB36—

Compare these counties side-by-side →

Hand County ranks #48 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 Hand 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 →