The Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC or the Council), which oversees the siting of large-scale energy facilities including wind and solar power projects, voted late last month to initiate rulemaking to clarify aspects of its contested case procedures. A contested case hearing is a culminating step in the EFSC site certification process, a public
Oregon
Oregon EFSC Approves Ambitious Rulemaking Schedule for 2024, Clarifies Standby Generator Requirements
At its January 26, 2024 meeting, the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) approved an ambitious rulemaking schedule for 2024 that will include consideration of changes to a wide range of EFSC rules. Detailed information regarding EFSC’s rulemaking projects can be found on EFSC’s website. Notable 2024 rulemaking projects will include potential changes to…
Oregon Raises EFSC Jurisdictional Floor for Solar Facilities: Developers Will Have Additional Permitting Options Starting January 1, 2024
On June 23, 2023, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 3179, which changes the definition of energy facilities subject to mandatory Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) jurisdiction. Signed by Oregon’s Governor on July 18, 2023, HB 3179 will go into effect January 1, 2024. HB 3179 will provide more flexibility for certain…
BOEM Launches Process for Offshore Wind Leasing in Oregon
Today, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Amanda Lefton announced a Call for Information and Nominations (Call) to assess commercial interest in potential offshore wind leasing within two areas off the Oregon coast. Together, the two areas total 1,158,400 million acres located at least 12 miles offshore Coos Bay and Brookings, respectively. Once the…
BOEM Announces Offshore Wind Call Areas in Oregon and Historic Lease Sale in the New York Bight
On Friday February 25, the Biden administration continued its push to achieve 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030 when the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced three Call Areas for the development of floating offshore wind in federal waters off the Oregon coast. The Call Areas, located 13.8 miles off the coast of…
Oregon Department of Energy Seeks Stakeholder Input on Floating Offshore Wind Development
The Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) is kicking off the stakeholder engagement part of its Floating Offshore Wind Study on January 20 at 9 a.m. As directed by HB 3375, ODOE is preparing a report on the challenges and benefits of integrating up to 3 gigawatts (GW) of floating offshore energy into Oregon’s grid by 2030, and it will submit that report to the legislature in September. A summary from the first part of the study, a literature review, should be released soon. Following the kickoff meeting, ODOE anticipates two more virtual meetings, as well as an opportunity to submit comments.
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Oregon’s DLCD Finalizes Solar Siting Rules
This post was co-authored by Stoel Rives summer associate Ken Pearson.
On May 23, the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development made permanent the Temporary Amendments to OAR 660-033-0130, promulgated on January 29, 2019, which restrict the extent to which counties may approve construction of new commercial solar facilities on high-value farm land. You…
Oregon Adopts Temporary Rules Limiting Solar Siting on Certain High-Value Farmlands
On January 29, 2019, the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, the state’s land use agency, filed temporary rules amending the standards for siting solar PV facilities on agricultural lands. Although the Land Conservation and Development Commission stopped short of making the changes permanent in order to further consider stakeholder interests at its May…
Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development Issues Staff Report/Clarifications Regarding Proposed Solar PV Rules
As a follow up to last week’s post about the proposed rules that would limit the development of solar PV on certain high-value farmland in Oregon, the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development issued its staff report on the proposed rules. The staff report provides an overview of the rationale for the proposed changes…
State of Oregon Proposes New Rules That Would Limit Solar PV on Farmland
The Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (“DLCD”), the state agency charged with overseeing and implementing the state’s land use planning program, is proposing new regulations that would prevent developers from siting solar PV facilities on certain farmland deemed high value. Over the last several years, opposition to the siting of solar PV facilities…