New Hampshire
Grade distribution
Overview
New Hampshire has 10 counties tracked in the SitePath solar permitting index. 9 (90%) are graded A or B, meaning they present low to moderate permitting risk for utility-scale solar projects. 1 county sits in the C range — moderate risk with meaningful process uncertainty.
The most favorable jurisdictions in New Hampshire include Rockingham County (grade B), Grafton County (grade B), Merrimack County (grade B). The most challenging include Carroll County (grade B), Belknap County (grade B), Coos County (grade C).
New Hampshire's RPS framework (RPS 25% by 2025) has a mixed effect on local solar permitting: state incentives can accelerate projects, but county boards often act independently of state policy direction. No New Hampshire counties currently have an active utility-scale solar moratorium.
All counties — sorted by risk score (best first)
| County | Grade | Score | Trajectory | Moratorium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockingham County | B | 32 | ↑ | |
| Grafton County | B | 34 | — | |
| Merrimack County | B | 34 | — | |
| Cheshire County | B | 35 | ↑ | |
| Sullivan County | B | 35 | ↑ | |
| Strafford County | B | 35 | ↓ | |
| Hillsborough County | B | 35 | — | |
| Carroll County | B | 39 | — | |
| Belknap County | B | 41 | ↓ | |
| Coos County | C | 43 | ↓ |
See the full interactive map
County grades, scores, and ordinance data are also available on the interactive county map with filtering by grade, state, and risk factor.
Open the county map →About SitePath scoring
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.