Preston County
Preston County, West Virginia: solar permitting grade D (score 59/100, High Risk). Score has worsened by 10 points over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | D · High Risk · Score 59/100 |
| Population | 33,314 |
| Solar ordinance | Ordinance status not yet documented |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Worsening (ordinance direction tightening) |
| 12-month score movement | Worsening (composite risk score has risen over 12 months) |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Preston 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. West Virginia's state policy environment adds headwinds — the absence of a strong RPS framework means county-level resistance faces less counterbalancing pressure.
Local intel
3 energy-related meetings
- 2026-07-28Data CenterCall to order by President and Pledge of Allegiance Roll call of Commissioners Recognition of Public Review of Bills Assessor’s Office – Exonerations – PERINI… · agenda
- 2026-06-30Data CenterCounty Commission has not been approached by any data center companies · agenda
- 2026-03-10TransmissionThe Planning Commission voted to approve the transmission line project · 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.