Portage County
Portage County, Wisconsin: solar permitting grade C (score 47/100, 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 47/100 |
| Population | 70,599 |
| Solar ordinance | Active, restrictive solar ordinance |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Stable (no material ordinance movement) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Portage County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement. Market saturation is elevated in this area — expect competition for prime land parcels and interconnection capacity.
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: Wood County (≈27 mi) · Adams County (≈37 mi) · Shawano County (≈42 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
In Wisconsin, towns hold their own zoning and land-use authority, so the rules for a site in Portage County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Stevens Point city
- Alban town
- Almond town
- Amherst town
- Belmont town
- Buena Vista town
- Carson town
- Dewey town
- Eau Pleine town
- Grant town
- Hull town
- Lanark town
- Linwood town
- New Hope town
- Pine Grove town
- Plover town
- Sharon town
- Stockton town
- Almond village
- Amherst Junction village
- Amherst village
- Junction City village
- Milladore village
- Nelsonville village
Show all
- Park Ridge village
- Plover village
- Rosholt village
- Whiting village
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Waupaca County · ≈26 miB37—
- Wood County · ≈27 miB34—
- Waushara County · ≈28 miC42—
- Marathon County · ≈32 miB37—
- Adams County · ≈37 miB40—
- Shawano County · ≈42 miC47—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Portage County ranks #57 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.