Solar Energy in Benton County, OR (2026)
1 rule for unincorporated Benton County, Oregon.
Verified from official government sources
Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Benton County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.
Panel Permits
A commercial solar facility on farmland in unincorporated Benton County needs a Planning Commission conditional use permit, not a simple building permit. BCC 55.210(13) lists photovoltaic solar power generation facilities, sited as commercial utility facilities to generate power for sale, among the uses the Planning Commission may allow in the Exclusive Farm Use Zone, and it bars the use outright on land classified as high-value farmland.
Benton County Solar Facility Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsBenton County Code § 55.210(13)
The following uses may be allowed in the Exclusive Farm Use Zone by conditional use permit approved by the Planning Commission: ... (13)Photovoltaic solar power generation facilities as commercial utility facilities for the purpose of generating power for public use by sale, pursuant to OAR 660-033-0130(38). This use is not allowed on high-value farmland. However, existing, lawfully established...
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