HB3986 • 2025

Makes counties approve applications to site renewable energy facilities filed before June 1, 2025, without applying the statewide land use planning goal related to agricultural use.

Energy

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Representative Levy E,, Helm
Last action: 2025-06-27
Official status: In House Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Makes counties approve applications to site renewable energy facilities filed before June 1, 2025, without applying the statewide land use planning goal related to agricultural use.

Digest: This Act lets a county site a green power plant without taking a Goal-3 exception.

What This Bill Does

Digest: This Act lets a county site a green power plant without taking a Goal-3 exception.
(Flesch Readability Score: 73.1).
Makes counties approve applications to site renewable energy facilities filed before June 1, 2025, without applying the statewide land use planning goal related to agricultural use.
Sunsets January 2, 2028.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2025-06-27 House
In committee upon adjournment.
2025-06-18 House
Referred to Climate, Energy, and Environment.
2025-06-17 House
First reading. Referred to Speaker's desk.

Official Summary Text

Digest: This Act lets a county site a green power plant without taking a Goal-3 exception. (Flesch Readability Score: 73.1).
Makes counties approve applications to site renewable energy facilities filed before June 1, 2025, without applying the statewide land use planning goal related to agricultural use.
Sunsets January 2, 2028.
Declares an emergency, effective on passage.
Relating to: Relating to siting of renewable energy facilities by counties on farmland; declaring an emergency.
Current location: In House Committee

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Bill 3986
Sponsored by Representatives LEVY E, HELM
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: This Act lets a county site a green power plant without taking a Goal-3 exception.
(Flesch Readability Score: 73.1).
Makes counties approve applications to site renewable energy facilities filed before June 1, 2025,
without applying the statewide land use planning goal related to agricultural use.
Sunsets January 2, 2028.
Declares an emergency, effective on passage.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to siting of renewable energy facilities by counties on farmland; and declaring an emer-
gency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
Section 2 of this 2025 Act is added to and made a part of ORS chapter 215.
SECTION 2. For an application to establish a renewable energy facility under ORS 215.446
that is filed with a county on or before June 1, 2025, and that is pending on the effective date
of this 2025 Act:
(1) ORS 215.296, the statewide land use planning goal related to agriculture and any pro-
visions of an administrative rule, comprehensive plan or land use regulations adopted to
implement ORS 215.296 or the goal do not apply.
(2) A county may not require the applicant to adopt an exception under ORS 197.732 to
a statewide land use planning goal relating to agricultural land.
(3) A county shall approve an application that meets the standards under ORS 215.446 (3)
and may not apply any other standards.
(4) A county’s approval of an application may only be reviewed on appeal under the
standards under ORS 215.446 (3)(a)(A) and (b) and the approval is entitled to deference if
there is any evidence to support the decision.
SECTION 3. Section 2 of this 2025 Act is repealed on January 2, 2028.
SECTION 4. This 2025 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2025 Act takes effect
on its passage.
NOTE: Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [ italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 4969