SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / OR / Union

Union County, OR — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

41
Risk Grade
Good
Remote eastern Oregon Grande Ronde Valley; EFU restrictions apply to prime agricultural land; USFS forest adjacency adds layer; EOU academic presence provides modest progressive counterweight; limited grid infrastructure constrains large-scale development
Assessment Snapshot
Population
27507
State Rank
#9
Compliance
50%
Trajectory
40

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
100 ft from property lines; 150 ft from residences in EFU; USFS buffer for national forest adjacency
Zoning Mechanism
EFU (Grande Ronde Valley agriculture), Forest (F), Rural Residential (RR), La Grande/Elgin/Union/Cove/Imbler Urban Growth Boundaries; Wallowa-Whitman NF adjacent
Acreage Caps
No county cap
Spacing Rules
None specified
Size Restrictions
ODOE >35 MW; USFS for Wallowa-Whitman NF adjacency; county CUP

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Neutral — La Grande moderate community with EOU academic presence; Grande Ronde Valley agricultural community standard EFU concerns; La Grande Observer coverage shows low engagement
Basis for Assessment
Union County planning records; La Grande Observer newspaper; EOU sustainability program; Union County Commissioner meeting minutes 2021-2024
Political Risk Factors
Stable — moderate-conservative community with EOU progressive academic influence; no organized anti-solar movement; La Grande Observer coverage shows neutral public sentiment
Board Members
Curt Olson (Chair), Paul Anderes, Matt Scarfo

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
Pacific Power (PacifiCorp); BPA (limited access; Bonneville–Borah corridor distant)
Utilities
Pacific Power (PacifiCorp), None/limited rural distribution
State Permitting Process
ORS 215 EFU CUP; USFS authorization for forest adjacency; ODOE >35 MW; Union County Zoning Ordinance
State Incentives
Eligible — Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate Program; Energy Trust of Oregon

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects
None verified
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
0

Explore the Full Tracker

View risk assessments for all 3,100+ US counties, compare states, and download detailed ordinance data for your solar development pipeline.

Launch SolarRisk Tracker

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