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Passaic County, NJ — Solar Development Risk Assessment

Local solar ordinance barriers, board sentiment, and utility policies that affect development timelines and risk.

38.8
Risk Grade
Good
Dense NJ urban county; Paterson industrial heritage; limited land; rooftop and community solar primary; Paterson Great Falls NHP nearby
Assessment Snapshot
Population
524,118
State Rank
#6
Compliance
50%
Trajectory
38

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
None codified at county level. Municipal setbacks govern (no county-level zoning authority).
Zoning Mechanism
Municipal Planning Board: D variance or use variance in applicable zoning district.
Acreage Caps
None codified at county level.
Density Caps
None codified at county level.
Spacing Rules
None codified at county level.
Size Restrictions
None codified at county level.

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Moderate-favorable; limited utility-scale land
Basis for Assessment
Dense NJ urban county; Paterson industrial heritage; limited land; rooftop and community solar primary; Paterson Great Falls NHP nearby
Political Risk Factors
Improving
Board Members
Commissioner Board (9 members; D majority — Dems won all seats Nov 2024 per Riker Danzig report). See passaiccountynj.gov for full roster | Terms staggered through Nov 2027

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
PJM / PSE&G (PSEG) transmission zone
Utilities
PSE&G (PSEG), Rockland Electric (O&R/Con Edison) (NW corner)
State Permitting Process
Local municipal zoning approval required; no statewide preemption of local ordinances. DEP Office of Permitting and Project Navigation: coordination required for large non-rooftop solar (CAFRA permits for coastal areas, Freshwater Wetlands, Flood Hazard, Stormwater). BPU SREC-II pre-construction registration required for incentive eligibility. PJM interconnection required. NJ Pinelands Commission approval required for projects in Pinelands Area. Historic districts (Cape May, Princeton) require architectural review board approval. DEP Guidance Document for Construction of Solar PV Arrays available at dep.nj.gov/cleanenergy.
State Incentives
NJ SuSI SREC-II (Successor Solar Incentive) Program: fixed $85/MWh payment for 15 years for net-metered systems <5 MW; grid supply solar subject to competitive TRECs/variable rate. NJ Sales Tax Exemption: solar equipment purchases fully exempt. NJ Successor Solar Incentive (SuSI) Registered Solar Program: for larger commercial arrays. NJ Community Solar: pilot program expanded to permanent program 2024 (Board of Public Utilities). NJ RPS: 35% renewable by 2025; 50% by 2030; significant solar carve-out. Utility: PSE&G serves northern NJ; JCP&L (FirstEnergy) serves central NJ; Atlantic City Electric (Exelon/ACE) serves southern NJ; Rockland Electric serves Bergen/Essex/Warren areas.

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects
North Jersey District Water Supply Commission | 10 MW | Wanaque Reservoir, Passaic County | CSI Program 3rd solicitation award — NJBPU approved Mar 5 2026 | Floating solar on reservoir — would be LARGEST floating solar facility in US upon completion (NJBPU Mar 2026)
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
No confirmed denial on record for Passaic County as of Mar 2026. NJ solar regulated at municipal level (565 municipalities) — denial data fragmented across municipalities. Contact NJBPU for CSEP application status.

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Last verified: 2026-03-24 | SolarRisk Tracker | Data sources: Government records, utility filings, public meeting minutes