Wise County
Wise County, Virginia: solar permitting grade C (score 46/100, Elevated Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | C · Elevated Risk · Score 46/100 |
| Population | 37,383 |
| Solar ordinance | Active, restrictive solar ordinance |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Permitting trajectory | Stable (little movement either direction) |
| Last verified | 2026-05-27 |
Developer outlook
Wise County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement. Virginia's state RPS policy provides a supportive macro backdrop for renewables, even where individual county ordinances are restrictive.
Local intel
23 meetings indexed
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; paid tiers unlock the underlying record.
Open the full Wise County profile →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 2026-05-27. Scores update on a quarterly review cycle.