Caroline County
Caroline County, Virginia: solar permitting grade C (score 50/100, Elevated Risk). Score has improved by 23 points over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | C · Elevated Risk · Score 50/100 |
| Population | 33,942 |
| Solar ordinance | Ordinance status not yet documented |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Worsening (ordinance direction tightening) |
| 12-month score movement | Improving (composite risk score has fallen over 12 months) |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Caroline County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement. The local regulatory environment has been trending more permissive over the past 12 months. Virginia's state RPS policy provides a supportive macro backdrop for renewables, even where individual county ordinances are restrictive. Market saturation is elevated in this area — expect competition for prime land parcels and interconnection capacity.
Local intel
13 energy-related meetings · 1 opposition groups
- 2021-08-26SolarThe Planning Commission voted to approve a special-use permit application for a 150 MW solar farm · agenda
- SolarThe Planning Commission approved a special-use permit for a 145.9-acre solar farm on Route 632 in Port Royal Voting District. · agenda
- SolarApproved solar project proposal for 150 MW development in Caroline County · agenda
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 →
SitePath Intelligence is a research platform. Data verified as of 2026-05-02. Scores update on a quarterly review cycle.