OAR 660-033-0055
Designation of Regional Electrical Transmission Corridors
(1)
For the purpose of better protecting high-value farmland, irrigated agricultural land and other productive agricultural land one or two counties in eastern Oregon may coordinate on the designation of electrical transmission corridors on lands planned and zoned for exclusive farm use. The county or counties must be located east of State Highway 19 and at least partially adjacent to the Columbia River with a population in each county greater than 6,000.(2)
For the purpose of this rule, the following definitions apply.(a)
“Electrical transmission” means a line or interconnected group of lines and associated equipment or facilities for the movement or transfer of electric energy between points of supply and points at which it is transformed for delivery to customers or is delivered to other electric systems.(c)
“Productive agricultural land” means lands in addition to high-value farmland and irrigated agricultural land that are identified in a local comprehensive plan due to being locally significant for the agricultural economy, having high productive value for that region, or having other qualities that make them valuable for that region.(3)
Designation of electrical transmission corridors under this rule shall include comprehensive plan amendments that:(a)
Upon consideration of alternatives, adopt a map to be included in the local comprehensive plan or plans clearly showing the location of each electrical transmission corridor. The map adoption shall be supported by findings demonstrating that each electrical transmission corridor is designed to:(A)
Meet at a common point along the mutual county boundary if more than one county is involved in locating a single electrical transmission corridor that crosses county jurisdictions;(B)
Reasonably avoid significant impacts to high-value farm land, irrigated agricultural lands, and productive agricultural land;(C)
Reasonably avoid significant impacts to Goal 5 resources inventoried in the county’s comprehensive plan;(D)
Reasonably avoid significant impacts to state or federal special status species (threatened, endangered, candidate, or sensitive) or habitat or to big game winter range or migration corridors, golden eagle or prairie falcon nest sites or pigeon springs as identified by state or federal wildlife agencies.(E)
Consider the potential for adverse impacts on United States Department of Defense established training and operating areas to include the Boardman Geographical Area of Concern and Low-Level Military Training Areas.(F)
Reflect coordination with relevant state and federal agencies and tribal governments including but not limited to:(iv)
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation;(G)
Be adequate to support electrical transmission development; and(H)
Consider the legal obligations and regulatory constraints of load serving entities, including both consumer-owned utilities and investor-owned utilities.(b)
Adopt programmatic findings for compliance with OAR 660-033-0130 (Minimum Standards Applicable to the Schedule of Permitted and Conditional Uses)(16)(a) and (b) that the county may directly apply to individual land use applications for electrical transmission projects proposed to be sited in a designated electrical transmission corridor.(c)
Adopt programmatic findings for compliance with OAR 660-033-0130 (Minimum Standards Applicable to the Schedule of Permitted and Conditional Uses)(5) that the county may directly apply to individual land use applications for projects that are related to or supportive of electrical transmission development proposed to be sited in a designated electrical transmission corridor. This subsection applies only to proposals that would ordinarily be required to address the provisions of OAR 660-033-0130 (Minimum Standards Applicable to the Schedule of Permitted and Conditional Uses)(5).(4)
Designation of an electrical transmission corridor in a county comprehensive plan shall be implemented by ordinances that that:(a)
Establish clear and objective siting standards that are consistent among participating counties designed to simplify the county approval process and encourage electrical transmission development in the designated electrical transmission corridor(b)
Require projects that cannot reasonably avoid significant impacts to wildlife habitat and special status species identified at paragraph (3)(a)(D) to minimize, and mitigate such impacts consistent with the administrative rules adopted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission for the purpose of implementing ORS 496.012 (Wildlife policy).(c)
Obligate all electrical transmission developers, regardless of project location, to demonstrate they have contacted and sought comments from the entities listed at paragraph (3)(a)(F) at least 45 days prior to submitting a land use application.
Source:
Rule 660-033-0055 — Designation of Regional Electrical Transmission Corridors, https://secure.sos.state.or.us/oard/view.action?ruleNumber=660-033-0055.