SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / OR / Jefferson

Jefferson County, OR — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

46.2
Risk Grade
Good
Excellent solar irradiance in Madras area; Warm Springs Tribe operates independent renewable development program on reservation; standard EFU CUP process on county lands; growing population (Bend spillover) improves distributed solar market
Assessment Snapshot
Population
23143
State Rank
#15
Compliance
45%
Trajectory
35

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
100 ft from property lines; 150 ft from residences; tribal buffer zones along reservation boundaries
Zoning Mechanism
EFU (Exclusive Farm Use), Warm Springs Reservation (tribal sovereignty), Rural Residential (RR), Madras Urban Growth Boundary (UGB)
Acreage Caps
No county cap
Spacing Rules
None specified
Size Restrictions
ODOE >35 MW; Warm Springs Tribe separate permitting for reservation solar; county CUP for non-tribal lands

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Neutral — pragmatic small agricultural community; Warm Springs Tribe has separate solar development track with Renewable Energy Development Program; county board neutral-pragmatic
Basis for Assessment
Jefferson County planning records; Madras Pioneer newspaper; Warm Springs Renewable Energy Development Program; Jefferson County Commissioner meeting minutes 2021-2024
Political Risk Factors
Stable — pragmatic conservative; Madras economy dependent on agriculture and light industry; Warm Springs Tribe has separate sovereignty over reservation lands; county board neutral on solar
Board Members
Mike Ahern (Chair), Wayne Fording, Mark Wunsch

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
Pacific Power (PacifiCorp); BPA (Coyote–Pelton transmission corridor)
Utilities
Pacific Power (PacifiCorp), Warm Springs Utility (on-reservation distribution)
State Permitting Process
ORS 215 EFU CUP; ODOE >35 MW; Warm Springs Tribal permitting (independent); Jefferson County Zoning Ordinance
State Incentives
Eligible — Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate Program; Energy Trust of Oregon; tribal lands may access federal IRA energy community bonuses

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects
Madras Solar Energy Facility (63 MW, 2021)
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
0

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