Sherman County, Oregon solar and wind ordinance
Solar: 40 ft (In an R-I Zone adjoining a residential lot or use) from property lines. Wind: 40 ft (In an R-I Zone adjoining a residential lot or use) from property lines. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read October 7, 2026.
Updated October 2026
Solar rules
4 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackIn an R-I Zone adjoining a residential lot or useThe minimum setback between a structure and a property line adjoining a residential lot or use shall be 40 feet. | 40 ft |
Road setbackMinimum building setback from a street, road or railroad right-of-way in an R-I ZoneThe minimum building setback between structure and a street, road or railroad right-of-way line shall be 30 feet unless a greater setback is required for compliance with Comprehensive plan policies or section 3.9(4). | 30 ft |
Maximum heightIn an R-I Zone on any lot adjacent to or across a street from a residential use or lotThe maximum building height for any structure on any lot adjacent to or across a street from a residential use or lot shall be 45 feet. | 45 ft |
Maximum lot coverageIn an R-I Zone adjacent to or across the street from a residential use or lot in a platted subdivision residential zoneNo use permitted by this section that is located adjacent to or across the street from a residential use or lot in a platted subdivision residential zone shall exceed 70 percent lot coverage by all buildings, storage areas or facilities and required off-street parking and loading area. | 70% |
Source: Sherman County ordinance, read October 7, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Wind rules
4 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackIn an R-I Zone adjoining a residential lot or useThe minimum setback between a structure and a property line adjoining a residential lot or use shall be 40 feet. | 40 ft |
Road setbackMinimum building setback from a street, road or railroad right-of-way in an R-I ZoneThe minimum building setback between structure and a street, road or railroad right-of-way line shall be 30 feet unless a greater setback is required for compliance with Comprehensive plan policies or section 3.9(4). | 30 ft |
Maximum heightIn an R-I Zone on any lot adjacent to or across a street from a residential use or lotThe maximum building height for any structure on any lot adjacent to or across a street from a residential use or lot shall be 45 feet. | 45 ft |
Maximum lot coverageIn an R-I Zone adjacent to or across the street from a residential use or lot in a platted subdivision residential zoneNo use permitted by this section that is located adjacent to or across the street from a residential use or lot in a platted subdivision residential zone shall exceed 70 percent lot coverage by all buildings, storage areas or facilities and required off-street parking and loading area. | 70% |
Source: Sherman County ordinance, read October 7, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Oregon state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Oregon rules and counties.
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
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.
How these figures were read
We found Sherman County's own ordinance and had two AI models read it separately. A figure is shown only when both read the same number and the sentence it comes from was found in the document. Moratoria and bans are checked against the adopting document. Ordinances change and many figures apply only in some cases, so check the cited section with the county before relying on one.
Common questions
What are the solar setbacks in Sherman County, OR?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 30 ft (Minimum building setback from a street, road or railroad right-of-way in an R-I Zone) from roads and 40 ft (In an R-I Zone adjoining a residential lot or use) from property lines. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
How tall can a solar farm be in Sherman County, OR?
The ordinance sets a maximum height of 45 ft (In an R-I Zone on any lot adjacent to or across a street from a residential use or lot). Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
What are the wind turbine setbacks in Sherman County, OR?
The county's ordinance sets wind turbines back 30 ft (Minimum building setback from a street, road or railroad right-of-way in an R-I Zone) from roads and 40 ft (In an R-I Zone adjoining a residential lot or use) from property lines. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.