Dane County
Dane County, Wisconsin: solar permitting grade D (score 58/100, High Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | D · High Risk · Score 58/100 |
| Population | 561,504 |
| Solar ordinance | Active solar ordinance on the books |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Improving (ordinance direction easing) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Data-center activity | Moratorium ACTIVE (county RES-039, hyperscale-only) |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Dane County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable. 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
In Wisconsin, towns hold their own zoning and land-use authority, so the rules for a site in Dane County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Edgerton city
- Fitchburg city
- Madison city
- Middleton city
- Monona city
- Stoughton city
- Sun Prairie city
- Verona city
- Albion town
- Berry town
- Black Earth town
- Blooming Grove town
- Blue Mounds town
- Bristol town
- Burke town
- Christiana town
- Cottage Grove town
- Cross Plains town
- Dane town
- Deerfield town
- Dunkirk town
- Dunn town
- Mazomanie town
- Medina town
Show all
- Middleton town
- Montrose town
- Oregon town
- Perry town
- Pleasant Springs town
- Primrose town
- Roxbury town
- Rutland town
- Springdale town
- Springfield town
- Sun Prairie town
- Vermont town
- Verona town
- Vienna town
- Westport town
- York town
- Belleville village
- Black Earth village
- Blue Mounds village
- Brooklyn village
- Cambridge village
- Cottage Grove village
- Cross Plains village
- Dane village
- DeForest village
- Deerfield village
- Maple Bluff village
- Marshall village
- Mazomanie village
- McFarland village
- Mount Horeb village
- Oregon village
- Rockdale village
- Shorewood Hills village
- Waunakee village
- Windsor village
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Columbia County · ≈28 miB41—
- Green County · ≈29 miB34—
- Rock County · ≈32 miD56—
- Jefferson County · ≈33 miD54—
- Sauk County · ≈36 miB31—
- Iowa County · ≈36 miC47—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Dane County ranks #68 of 72 ranked Wisconsin counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Wisconsin: Sauk County (B · 31), Crawford County (B · 32), Sawyer County (B · 32). See all Wisconsin 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.