Does Salem County, Virginia have a solar moratorium?

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

What is Salem County’s solar permitting risk grade?

Salem County, Virginia has a SitePath solar permitting grade of A — risk score 28/100 (Low 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 Salem 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 › Salem County

Virginia

Salem County

FIPS 51775

Salem County, Virginia: solar permitting grade A (score 28/100, Low Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.

Score 28/100

Low Risk

Public summary

Grade	A · Low Risk · Score 28/100
Population	25,301
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

Salem County is among the lower-risk jurisdictions in Virginia for utility-scale solar development — ordinance conditions are favorable and permitting history is constructive. Virginia's state RPS policy provides a supportive macro backdrop for renewables, even where individual county ordinances are restrictive.

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: Roanoke City (≈5 mi) · Roanoke County (≈8 mi) · Craig County (≈16 mi)

Browse all Virginia county grades →

Cities, towns & townships

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

Salem city

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

Nearby counties

Roanoke City · ≈5 miB33—
Roanoke County · ≈8 miC43—
Craig County · ≈16 miC47—
Montgomery County · ≈20 miB38—
Franklin County · ≈22 miB37—
Botetourt County · ≈23 miD61—

Compare these counties side-by-side →

Salem County ranks #5 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 Salem 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 →