SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / OR / Clackamas

Clackamas County, OR — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

43
Risk Grade
Good
Large suburban population (431k) drives rooftop solar demand; rural EFU lands restrict utility-scale on agricultural land; politically mixed county with both progressive suburban and conservative rural constituencies creates moderate development uncertainty
Assessment Snapshot
Population
431534
State Rank
#12
Compliance
40%
Trajectory
30

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
50 ft from property lines in residential zones; variable by zone in EFU and Forest
Zoning Mechanism
EFU, Forest (F), Farm Forest (FF), Agriculture (AG), Rural Residential (RR), Urban Reserve, and City of Lake Oswego/Oregon City zones; Metro Regional Government urban growth boundary applies
Acreage Caps
No specific county acreage cap
Spacing Rules
None specified
Size Restrictions
ODOE >35 MW; county ZDO for commercial-scale; Metro Regional Land Information System (RLIS) applies in UGB

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Mixed — urban/suburban areas (Lake Oswego, West Linn, Wilsonville) supportive; rural eastern Clackamas (Molalla, Estacada) cautious about large-scale solar on agricultural land
Basis for Assessment
Clackamas County Planning Commission records 2021-2024; Clackamas Review newspaper; Metro regional planning documents; PGE interconnection queue data
Political Risk Factors
Stable — politically mixed (suburban conservative + rural agricultural); no organized opposition; moderate policy support
Board Members
Paul Savas (Chair), Sonya Fischer, Mark Shull, Martha Schrader, Tootie Smith

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
Portland General Electric (PGE); BPA high-voltage transmission; Pacific Power in rural eastern areas
Utilities
Portland General Electric (PGE), Pacific Power (PacifiCorp) — eastern rural Clackamas
State Permitting Process
ORS 215 EFU CUP; ODOE Siting Council >35 MW; Metro UGB compliance; Clackamas County ZDO
State Incentives
Eligible — Energy Trust of Oregon (Portland metro service territory); Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate Program

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects
Firwood Solar Farm (est. 15 MW, 2020)
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
1

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Last verified: April 2026 (web research) | SolarRisk Tracker | Data sources: Government records, utility filings, public meeting minutes