South Dakota solar permitting

Grade distribution

Overview

Every South Dakota county is scored on the SitePath solar permitting index. About half are graded A or B, meaning they present low to moderate permitting risk for utility-scale solar projects. A sizeable minority sit in the C range — moderate risk with meaningful process uncertainty. A handful are rated D or F — high to very high risk, often due to active moratoria, restrictive setback ordinances, or strong local opposition.

The most favorable jurisdictions in South Dakota include Deuel County (grade A), Walworth County (grade B), Aurora County (grade B). The most challenging include Hyde County (grade C), Day County (grade C), Pennington County (grade D).

South Dakota's RPS framework (RPS on file · no % target) has a mixed effect on local solar permitting: state incentives can accelerate projects, but county boards often act independently of state policy direction. No South Dakota counties currently have an active utility-scale solar moratorium.

All counties — sorted by risk score (best first)

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 →