Published 5:00 am Thursday, July 30, 2026
By Kyle Odegard
The Linn County Board of Commissioners approved sending a letter to the Oregon Department of Energy opposing the Muddy Creek Energy Park project, which could cover nearly 1,600 acres of farmland.
Their vote, taken July 28, was 2-1, with commissioners Roger Nyquist and Sherrie Sprenger in favor and Will Tucker voting “no.”
All three commissioners are Republicans in Linn County, which is known as the grass seed capital of the world.
Sponsors of the project, south of Brownsville, Ore., aim to graze sheep and grow crops among the solar panels.
“We have broad concerns about the precedent and policy of an approval by the Department of Energy of such a project placed on Willamette Valley high-value farmland,” the letter stated.
Sprenger wrote a separate letter July 14 noting the project would be the Willamette Valley’s first of its size.
“Linn County’s largest permitted solar facility is 12 acres. Based on scale alone, there seems to be a lack of local knowledge on how to operate an agrivoltaic plan of this scale successfully,” she wrote.
Tucker worried about property owners’ rights and the ability to maintain a stable power grid, a news release stated.
Friends of Gap Road has opposed the project for years and asked Linn County to amend its code to ban all solar projects on its farmland.
The commissioners have so far declined to act on that request.
Larry Rogers, Friends of Gap Road member, said he was thrilled with the commissioners’ decision.
“I definitely think it can have an impact and make a difference,” he said.
Rogers said the project is experimental and would displace land zoned exclusive farm use that is wetlands in the winter, as well as harm the soil.
John Langdon, a farmer involved with the project, said only 850 to 900 acres would be developed with solar panels and other infrastructure.
Langdon said the commissioners were trying to do the right thing and so is he during an agricultural crisis.
The solar lease could bring financial security to his farm for 40 years, helping ensure it’s passed down to future generations.
“If it is approved, we can farm the acres. We can do it. We know we can,” Langdon said.
His farm grows annual ryegrass, fall fescue, hazelnuts and Oregon wild rice.
Langdon said he already farms back and forth between rows of hazelnuts, and agrivoltaics would be similar.
Plus, solar panels’ shade would help crops grow and reduce water use.
Agrivoltaics and solar revenue would bring five to 10 times the return of ryegrass on his worst ground.
Langdon said he’s been repeatedly approached about solar power over the past 20 years because the location of his property is favorable.
He described himself as an old school guy who likes the old ways.
“I truly believe ‘Bonanza’ is a better show than ‘Yellowstone,’ because it is. But the future is coming” and farmers should educate themselves about solar and take advantage if possible, Langdon added.
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