York County, PA — Solar Development Risk Assessment

No Moratorium

None codified at county level. Municipal (township/borough) setbacks govern.

Municipal Planning Board/Zoning Hearing Board: CUP or Special Exception. No county-level siting authority in PA; each municipality has own zoning ordinance.

Generally receptive — agricultural community sees revenue value; some agricultural preservation sentiment; growing solar market

Active utility-scale solar county with ample agricultural land; strong developer interest; fragmented municipal landscape requires township-by-township approach

Stable

Local permit: Conditional Use or Special Exception in agricultural zoning district; governed by PA Municipalities Planning Code (MPC), 53 P.S. §10101 et seq. No statewide preemption of local ordinances — municipalities and counties may restrict or prohibit utility-scale solar without state override. ~5% of PA's 2,559 municipal codes explicitly address grid-scale solar (Penn State Dickinson Law, 2023); most projects require ordinance amendment or variance. No state CPCN requirement for solar. Net metering available under PA Act 35 of 2007. AEPS Act 213 of 2004: ~18% renewable energy standard; no significant solar carve-out.

PA Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS): 18% Tier I renewable by 2021 (met); no solar-specific carve-out in AEPS — PA's renewable credit market is small vs. NJ/MD. Net metering: PA Act 35 of 2007; net metering for systems up to 5 MW; PPL, PECO, Met-Ed, West Penn, Penelec, Penn Power offer programs. SREC market: very limited; PA SRECs trade at near-floor value. USDA REAP grants and loans: available for rural projects. PACE financing: available in Allegheny, Philadelphia, and other PA counties. Solar not preempted: all PA utility-scale permitting at local zoning level. Utility varies by county: PECO (Philadelphia/SE PA); PPL (eastern/central PA); West Penn Power (FirstEnergy, SW/western PA); Met-Ed (eastern border); Penelec (Allegheny/NW PA areas); Duquesne Light (Allegheny County metro).

York County ranks #5 in PA for solar installations (452 installations, 15.01 MW total as of 2022). Snyder's-Lance HQ solar system | 3.5 MW | York County | operational 2011 — was largest ground-based solar farm in PA when built. Multiple mid-scale and commercial solar arrays. PPL Electric Utilities serves most of York County. York County in PJM transmission zone.

No confirmed township-level solar denial on record for York County as of Mar 2026. PA has no statewide solar siting authority — township/borough zoning controls. Contact individual township zoning offices in York County for recent CUP history.