Loudoun County
Loudoun County, Virginia: solar permitting grade D (score 60/100, High Risk). Score has worsened by 28 points over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | D · High Risk · Score 60/100 |
| Population | 420,959 |
| Solar ordinance | Ordinance status not yet documented |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Improving (ordinance direction easing) |
| 12-month score movement | Worsening (composite risk score has risen over 12 months) |
| Data-center activity | Restrictions Tightened (ZOAM-2024-0001 — special exception required) |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Loudoun County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable. Conditions have been tightening over the past 12 months — watch for additional ordinance changes or board activity. Virginia's state RPS policy provides a supportive macro backdrop for renewables, even where individual county ordinances are restrictive.
Local intel
135 energy-related meetings · 10 opposition groups
- 2026-07-07Data CenterLoudoun County Board of Supervisors approves changes to Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance for data centers, eliminating them as a 'by-right' use. · agenda
- 2026-07-07Data CenterLoudoun County approves changes to Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance to allow data centers as conditional use, eliminating them as 'by-right' uses. · agenda
- 2026-07-07Data CenterLoudoun County approves changes to Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance to allow data centers as conditional use · 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.