South Dakota
Grade distribution
Overview
South Dakota has 66 counties tracked in the SitePath solar permitting index. 36 (55%) are graded A or B, meaning they present low to moderate permitting risk for utility-scale solar projects. 30 counties sit in the C range — moderate risk with meaningful process uncertainty.
The most favorable jurisdictions in South Dakota include Walworth County (grade B), Aurora County (grade B), Bon Homme County (grade B). The most challenging include Haakon County (grade C), McPherson County (grade C), Hyde County (grade C).
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)
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.