Does Union County, South Dakota have a solar moratorium?

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

What is Union County’s solar permitting risk grade?

Union County, South Dakota has a SitePath solar permitting grade of B — risk score 41/100 (Moderate 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 Union 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 › Union County

South Dakota

Union County

FIPS 46127

Union 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.

Score 41/100

Moderate Risk

Public summary

Grade	B · Moderate Risk · Score 41/100
Population	17,285
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

Union 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: Sioux County (≈30 mi) · Lincoln County (≈31 mi) · Yankton County (≈39 mi)

Browse all South Dakota county grades →

Cities, towns & townships

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

Alcester city
Beresford citypartly in this county
Elk Point city
Jefferson city
North Sioux City city
Alcester township
Big Sioux township
Big Springs township
Brule township
Civil Bend township
Elk Point township
Emmet township
Jefferson township
Prairie township
Sioux Valley township
Spink township
Virginia township

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

Nearby counties

Clay County · ≈18 miB41—
Plymouth County, IA · ≈23 miB37—
Dixon County, NE · ≈26 miB40—
Sioux County, IA · ≈30 miD55—
Dakota County, NE · ≈31 miC43—
Lincoln County · ≈31 miB35—

Compare these counties side-by-side →

Union County ranks #30 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 Union 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 →