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Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility III

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Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility III (WREFIII) is a 50 megawatt (MW) solar energy generation facility on 357 acres (0.5 sq. miles) of private land within an approximately 2,294 acre site boundary.
Operating/Under Review. A 50 MW phase of the facility commenced commercial operation on March 22, 2022.

On February 27, 2026, the Department received Request for Amendment 1 (RFA1) of the site certificate. In RFA1, the certificate holder seeks Energy Facility Siting Council approval to extend the construction completion deadline for the unbuilt portion of the facility, and to split the approved facility into two facilities, each with their own site certificate.​

Also on February 27, 2026, the Department issued a Proposed Order on RFA1 and a Public Notice of the Proposed Order. The Public Notice included notice of a  35-day public comment period ending on April 3, 2026, and a public hearing in Boardman, Oregon on March 19, 2026.  

The Department has created a OneDrive Folder​ for the Amendment Comment Review Process, where participants, including the certificate holder, can upload and download documents for the Comment Review Process or transmit documents via email.
Individuals who commented on the Proposed Order received responses from the certificate holder and Department on April 10, 2026. Additional information on how to participate in the Comment Review Process will be provided to those individuals by email.

WREFIII facility components are located in Morrow County; the site boundary is bisected by OR 207, approximately 5 miles northeast of Lexington and approximately 7 miles northwest of Heppner. PDF Map I Online Map​

Applicant/Certificate holder: Wheatridge Solar Energy Center, LLC
ODOE contact: Chase McVeigh-Walker
Applicant/Certificate holder contact: David Lawlor

​​On November 19, 2020, the Energy Facility Siting Council approved Request for Amendment 1 of the Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility II site certificate, which authorized allocation of previously approved facility components into an amended and two original site certificates for Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility II, Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility III and Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility East​, respectively. The documentation for the original project can be found on the Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility II webpage.

  • Click here to view a diagram of the Site Certificate history.​
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Project Amendment(s)

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Display Name
  
Description
Display Date
  
Preliminary Request for Amendment 1 (pRFA1)
11/21/2025
12/02/2025
02/27/2026
02/27/2026
02/27/2026
04/10/2026

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Project Timeline

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Milestone
  
Additional Documents
Display Date
  

​For other documents related to WREFIII, please see the original facility page​.

12/10/2020

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Exhibit Files Reference

  • Exhibit A: Applicant Information 
  • Exhibit B: Project Description
  • Exhibit C: Property Location and Maps
  • Exhibit D: Organizational Information
  • Exhibit E​: Permits Required
  • Exhibit F: Property Ownership 
  • Exhibit G: Materials Analysis
  • Exhibit H: Geology and Soil Stability 
  • Exhibit I: Soils
  • Exhibit J: Wetlands
  • Exhibit K: Land Use
  • Exhibit L: Protected Areas
  • Exhibit M: Financial Analysis
  • Exhibit N​: Non-generating Facility Information
  • Exhibit O: Water Requirements
  • Exhibit P: Fish Wildlife Habitat 
  • Exhibit Q: Threatened and Endangered Plants and Animals
  • Exhibit R: Scenic Aesthetic Values 
  • Exhibit S: Cultural Resources
  • Exhibit T: Recreational Facilities 
  • Exhibit U: Public Services
  • Exhibit V​: Waste Minimization 
  • Exhibit W: Site Restoration
  • Exhibit X: Noise 
  • Exhibit Y: Carbon Dioxide Emissions 
  • Exhibit Z: Cooling Towers  
  • Exhibit AA: EMFs – Electric and Magnetic Fields
  • Exhibit BB: Other Information
  • Exhibit CC: Additional Statutes Rules Ordinances
  • Exhibit DD​: Other Specific Standards