Benton County
Benton County, Washington: solar permitting grade B (score 40/100, Moderate Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | B · Moderate Risk · Score 40/100 |
| Population | 204,390 |
| Solar ordinance | Active, restrictive solar ordinance |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Improving (ordinance direction easing) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Benton County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation. Washington'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: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Benton County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Benton City city
- Kennewick city
- Prosser city
- Richland city
- West Richland city
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Franklin County · ≈36 miB30—
- Walla Walla County · ≈50 miC42—
- Morrow County, OR · ≈56 miD57—
- Umatilla County, OR · ≈58 miD57—
- Yakima County · ≈60 miF68—
- Klickitat County · ≈65 miF68—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Benton County ranks #14 of 39 ranked Washington counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Washington: Thurston County (A · 23), Pierce County (A · 29), Snohomish County (A · 29). See all Washington 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.
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 →
Related reading
SitePath Intelligence is a research platform. Data verified as of 2026-05-02. Scores update on a quarterly review cycle.