53.2

Risk Grade

Fair

Coastal overcast climate reduces solar viability significantly; declining rural economy creates openness to development but moderate-conservative politics add uncertainty; OCMP restrictions add regulatory layer in coastal areas

Assessment Snapshot

Population

64487

State Rank

#22

Compliance

50%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

100 ft from property lines; 200 ft from residences in EFU zones; additional coastal setbacks per OCMP

Zoning Mechanism

EFU, Forest (F), Coastal Shorelands (CS), Rural Residential (RR), Commercial, Industrial (Coos Bay port); coastal wetland buffer zones

Acreage Caps

No county cap

Spacing Rules

None specified

Size Restrictions

ODOE >35 MW; Oregon Coastal Management Program (OCMP) for coastal shorelands; Oregon Division of State Lands for estuarine adjacency

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Cautious — declining timber/fishing economy with mixed views on development; Coos Bay port area more economically pragmatic; local media (The World) shows occasional debate over land use

Basis for Assessment

Coos County planning records 2020-2024; The World (Coos Bay) newspaper; Coos Bay Port Commission minutes; Oregon Coastal Management Program records

Political Risk Factors

Cautious — moderate-conservative declining timber economy; some wariness about land use changes from outside developers; Coos Bay community pragmatic about economic development

Board Members

John Sweet (Chair), Melissa Cribbins, Bob Main

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

Pacific Power (PacifiCorp); BPA (limited access via Coos Bay–Grizzly–Alvey corridor)

Utilities

Pacific Power (PacifiCorp), Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative (rural southern Coos County)

State Permitting Process

ORS 215 EFU CUP; OCMP coastal management; ODOE >35 MW; Oregon DSL for estuarine adjacency

State Incentives

Eligible — Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate Program; Energy Trust of Oregon

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects

None verified

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

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Coos County, OR — Solar Development Risk Assessment