Does Franklin County, Virginia have a solar moratorium?

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

What is Franklin County’s solar permitting risk grade?

Franklin County, Virginia has a SitePath solar permitting grade of B — risk score 37/100 (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 Franklin County, Virginia?

Ordinance status: No specific solar ordinance recorded. 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 › Virginia › Franklin County

Virginia

Franklin County

FIPS 51067

Franklin County, Virginia: solar permitting grade B (score 37/100, Moderate Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.

Score 37/100

Moderate Risk

Public summary

Grade	B · Moderate Risk · Score 37/100
Population	56,159
Solar ordinance	No specific solar ordinance recorded
Active moratorium	None on record
Regulatory trajectory	Stable (no material ordinance movement)
12-month score movement	Stable
Last verified	2026-05-02

Developer outlook

Franklin County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation. 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

On file: energy-related meetings · named opposition groups

2026-03-10Data Center
Discussion of data center project considering environmental and social impact. · agenda
2023-03-14Solar
Insert a requirement that no above ground solar infrastructure (i.e., struc tures, building, inverter, or solar panels) associated with a Utility -Scale Solar… · agenda
2023-01-10Solar
The Franklin County Board of Supervisors proposes amendments to Chapter 25 'Zoning' to allow for a cumulative 1,500 acres of above ground solar infrastructure… · agenda

See full meetings + dockets + opposition tracking →

Cities, towns & townships

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

Boones Mill town
Rocky Mount town

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

Nearby counties

Roanoke City · ≈20 miB33—
Martinsville County · ≈21 miB35—
Salem County · ≈22 miA28—
Floyd County · ≈26 miB39—
Henry County · ≈26 miC50—
Roanoke County · ≈29 miC43—

Compare these counties side-by-side →

Franklin County ranks #40 of 133 ranked Virginia counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Virginia: Charlottesville County (A · 23), Manassas Park County (A · 27), Falls Church County (A · 27). See all Virginia 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 Franklin 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 →