2026 State Solar Permitting Rankings
Every state ranked by the median risk score across its counties. Lower is better — a lower median means more of the state's counties lean toward permissive conditions for utility-scale solar. The ranking covers all 50 states; D.C. is excluded (single-county jurisdiction). State RPS policy tier is shown for context but is not a component of the score.
How to read this ranking
The median score is the midpoint across all a state's counties — half score above, half below. It's a better summary statistic than the mean here because a small number of very high-risk counties (moratoria, outright bans) would otherwise skew the average upward.
The grade distribution bar shows the share of counties in each grade band — green left, red right. A bar that's mostly green indicates a state where most counties are low-to-moderate risk. A bar with significant orange or red on the right indicates meaningful pockets of resistance, even if the median score looks acceptable.
The A/B percentage is the most practical number for site selection: it tells you what fraction of the state's counties are working with, not against, a solar developer at the ordinance level.
Notable patterns in the data
The Midwest bifurcation. The Midwest has the highest rate of A/B counties among major regions (84%) but also the most active moratoria (21 of the national total of 26). It's the most polarized region: large portions of Iowa, Indiana, and Kansas are permissive — until they aren't. The farmland-versus-solar conflict is playing out in concentrated patches rather than across a broad front.
West Virginia at the bottom. West Virginia has only 15% of its 55 counties in the A/B range — the worst ratio among the contiguous 48 states. The state's coal and gas heritage and the absence of a meaningful RPS framework have produced a county-level environment that is broadly resistant, not just patchily so.
New England is more permissive than it looks. Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island all rank in the top 10 nationally. Small county count limits statistical noise, but these states have taken an ordinance path (limited municipal solar restrictions, strong state preemption) that reduces local friction even where community opposition exists.
All 50 states ranked
Sorted by median county score (lowest = most permissive). Click any state to view its full county table.
| # | State | Median score | Grade mix | A/B counties | Moratoria | State policy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 28.8 | 95% | 0 | Hostile | |
| 2 | Vermont | 29.5 | 100% | 0 | Favorable | |
| 3 | Nevada | 30.8 | 71% | 0 | Favorable | |
| 4 | Delaware | 31.1 | 100% | 0 | Neutral | |
| 5 | Rhode Island | 31.1 | 100% | 0 | Favorable | |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 32.6 | 100% | 0 | Neutral | |
| 7 | Montana | 34.1 | 91% | 0 | Neutral | |
| 8 | Connecticut | 34.4 | 100% | 0 | Neutral | |
| 9 | Massachusetts | 34.5 | 100% | 0 | Neutral | |
| 10 | Maine | 35.4 | 100% | 0 | Favorable | |
| 11 | New York | 36.3 | 100% | 0 | Favorable | |
| 12 | Wisconsin | 36.7 | 100% | 0 | Neutral | |
| 13 | Minnesota | 36.7 | 100% | 0 | Favorable | |
| 14 | Colorado | 36.8 | 89% | 0 | Favorable | |
| 15 | Nebraska | 37.1 | 95% | 2 | Hostile | |
| 16 | Iowa | 37.3 | 90% | 7 | Hostile | |
| 17 | North Carolina | 37.5 | 96% | 3 | Neutral | |
| 18 | Idaho | 38.1 | 91% | 0 | Hostile | |
| 19 | Missouri | 38.2 | 58% | 0 | Neutral | |
| 20 | Kentucky | 38.4 | 68% | 0 | Hostile | |
| 21 | Michigan | 38.5 | 99% | 0 | Favorable | |
| 22 | Kansas | 38.7 | 93% | 6 | Hostile | |
| 23 | Virginia | 39.2 | 80% | 1 | Favorable | |
| 24 | Louisiana | 39.7 | 78% | 0 | Hostile | |
| 25 | New Mexico | 39.8 | 67% | 0 | Favorable | |
| 26 | Hawaii | 40.2 | 60% | 0 | Favorable | |
| 27 | Indiana | 40.3 | 85% | 6 | Hostile | |
| 28 | Oregon | 40.8 | 86% | 0 | Favorable | |
| 29 | Washington | 40.8 | 85% | 0 | Favorable | |
| 30 | Florida | 41.1 | 94% | 0 | Hostile | |
| 31 | New Jersey | 41.4 | 100% | 0 | Favorable | |
| 32 | South Carolina | 41.5 | 74% | 0 | Hostile | |
| 33 | California | 42.8 | 66% | 0 | Favorable | |
| 34 | Arkansas | 42.9 | 65% | 0 | Hostile | |
| 35 | Maryland | 43.0 | 79% | 0 | Favorable | |
| 36 | Utah | 43.1 | 79% | 0 | Hostile | |
| 37 | Mississippi | 43.1 | 93% | 0 | Hostile | |
| 38 | Oklahoma | 43.2 | 99% | 1 | Hostile | |
| 39 | South Dakota | 43.3 | 100% | 0 | Hostile | |
| 40 | Illinois | 43.5 | 74% | 0 | Favorable | |
| 41 | Georgia | 43.7 | 56% | 0 | Hostile | |
| 42 | North Dakota | 44.2 | 100% | 0 | Hostile | |
| 43 | Wyoming | 44.4 | 91% | 0 | Hostile | |
| 44 | Alaska | 45.1 | 70% | 0 | Hostile | |
| 45 | Arizona | 45.8 | 53% | 0 | Neutral | |
| 46 | Pennsylvania | 45.9 | 64% | 0 | Neutral | |
| 47 | Tennessee | 46.1 | 54% | 0 | Hostile | |
| 48 | Alabama | 46.6 | 52% | 0 | Hostile | |
| 49 | West Virginia | 47.5 | 15% | 0 | Hostile | |
| 50 | Ohio | 49.9 | 44% | 0 | Neutral |
State policy tier reflects the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard framework: Favorable = strong RPS target; Hostile = no RPS or active anti-renewable legislation; Neutral = weak or partial RPS. Policy tier is not a scoring input — it is context only.
Methodology note
Scores are computed using SitePath's V2.3 formula: 33% Compliance Stringency + 23% Market Saturation + 24% Regulatory Trajectory + 20% Data Uncertainty. Counties with active utility-scale solar moratoria are capped at score 100 (grade F). State rankings use the median of county scores within the state. Full methodology →