Oregon solar and wind ordinances by county
7 counties with figures quoted from their own ordinances. Plus the state law that applies.
Updated October 2026
Counties
Solar figures as each county's ordinance states them. Open a county for wind and battery storage rules, conditions, and the sentence each figure comes from.
| County | Rules read | Property line | Homes | Max height | Min lot | Moratorium or ban |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curry County | Solar, Wind | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | None on file |
| Lane County | Solar, Wind | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | None on file |
| Morrow County | Solar, Wind | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | None on file |
| Sherman County | Solar, Wind | 40 ftIn an R-I Zone adjoining a residential lot or use | n/a | 45 ftIn an R-I Zone on any lot adjacent to or across a street from a residential use or lot | n/a | None on file |
| Wallowa County | Solar | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | None on file |
| Wasco County | Wind | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | None on file |
| Wheeler County | Solar | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | None on file |
Every Oregon figure in one spreadsheet
41 figures from 8 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 1 of those places is not on this site. Plus Oregon state law.
Oregon state law
What state law says about local solar, wind and storage rules. Each statement links the law or official source it comes from.
State siting: Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council
A state site certificate is required for solar using more than 240 acres of high-value farmland, 2,560 acres of cultivated land or 3,840 acres of other land, and for wind of 300 MW nameplate (100 MW average) or more; smaller projects are permitted by the county, and standalone batteries may opt in to state review.
ORS 469.300(11)(a) and 469.320 (solar acreage per HB 3179 (2023); wind per HB 3874 (2025); standalone storage opt-in per HB 4015 (2024)). Source
Limits on local rules
Once the Siting Council issues a site certificate, it binds counties and cities, which must issue the permits it covers without further hearings.
ORS 469.401(3). Source
Solar standards in state law
Binds counties approving solar on farm (EFU) land below the state threshold: the array may not cover more than these acreages without a statewide planning goal exception.
| Max area on high-value farmland | 12 acres |
| Max area on arable land | 20 acres |
| Max area on nonarable land | 320 acres |
OAR 660-033-0130(38)(g), (i), (j) (Goal 3 agricultural land rule, as amended through LCDD 10-2026, effective Oct 1, 2026). Source
Solar standards in state law
Optional eastern Oregon path: a county without its own solar program may instead approve larger arrays on farm land under these caps.
| Max area on qualifying high-value farmland (eastern Oregon path) | 160 acres |
| Max area on arable land (eastern Oregon path) | 1,280 acres |
| Max area on nonarable land (eastern Oregon path) | 1,920 acres |
OAR 660-033-0130(44) (as amended through LCDD 10-2026, effective Oct 1, 2026). Source
Solar standards in state law
Statewide DEQ noise rule for solar of any size, whether permitted by the state or the county: no more than 10 dBA over the ambient level, which may be assumed to be 26 dBA (L50), at noise-sensitive property unless the owner waives it.
| Noise | 10 dBA over ambient (ambient assumed 26 dBA L50) |
OAR 340-035-0035(1)(b)(B)(iii) (as amended by DEQ 17-2024, effective Oct 17, 2024). Source
Wind standards in state law
Statewide DEQ noise rule for wind of any size, whether permitted by the state or the county: no more than 10 dBA over the ambient level, which may be assumed to be 26 dBA (L50), at noise-sensitive property unless the owner waives it.
| Noise | 10 dBA over ambient (ambient assumed 26 dBA L50) |
OAR 340-035-0035(1)(b)(B)(iii) (as amended by DEQ 17-2024, effective Oct 17, 2024). Source
Screen sites across Oregon
Basepoint checks each parcel against these rules along with grid, land and environmental data, and keeps the source for every figure.