09/22/2026
Hello Friends of Gap Road,
It has a been a while since our last update. There seems to be an "uncomfortable lull" while the Oregon Department of Energy Staff review Hanwha Renewable’s Muddy Creek Energy Park preliminary application for site certificate. The reality is; it may take quite a while for this review to be completed. This is due to the “woefully” incomplete nature of Hanwha Renewable’s preliminary application. Stay tuned as to when we will need YOU to help “Fill a Gymnasium” for Public Review and Comment.
In case you missed it, Linn County Commissioner's Roger Nyquist and Sherrie Sprenger recently voted not to support this atrocious project on Exclusive Farm Use/Wetlands. We are so, very, grateful for Commissioner's Nyquist and Sprenger! If you had not heard, the vote was 2-1 with Commissioner Tucker voting in support of the project. Sad, but true. We ask; who is going to project our precious Farmlands from inappropriate use if not our Commissioners? Do we desire Urban Growth and Commercialization on our farmlands, beaches and forests? Or do we want to maintain our beautiful State’s culture and values? Friends of Gap Road believe we need to Keep Oregon, Oregon. It is OK to be different from our neighboring states. We must stand strong to stop big business from bullying Oregon Citizens. Be sure to take a moment to thank Commissioners Nyquist and Sprenger when you have an opportunity.
If you ask, what might I do to assist while waiting to hear about any Energy Facility Siting Council Public Comment Period(s)…. here are a couple thoughts:
1. Write to Oregon Governor Kotek and your District's Senator and Representative. Let them know we need to protect Oregon from undesirable land use law changes aimed to ease restrictions for projects like Muddy Creek Energy Park. Our Legislator’s are currently being “bombarded" with Land Use Law changes each and every Legislative session. Most are related to expanding Urban Growth Boundaries for low income housing and facilitating renewable energy installations. Should you need assistance finding your Senator or Representative you can find them here: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/
2. The United States Department of Agriculture recently identified Mr. John Rich as a Special Envoy for land use protection. The Leadership Group of Friends of Gap Road have written Special Envoy John Rich to request his assistance. If you are interested you, too, can write in to request Special Envoy Rich to weigh in on this project. Feel free to use the template below or adjust the letter to your personal preference. Simply go to https://www.usda.gov/lawfare fill in the boxes and feel free to paste this letter. It is that simple….
We assure you... Friends of Gap Road will continue to fight Muddy Creek Solar Park until there is no fight left in this matter!
As always, “Thank You" for all YOU DO and we will continue to keep you informed as the date for Public Comment nears.
Best Regards,
Friends of Gap Road
Attn: Special Envoy - John Rich
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave S.W.
Washington D.C. 20250
Dear Special Envoy John Rich,
I am reaching out because our community urgently needs your help in Oregon.
I belong to a local citizens’ group called “Friends of Gap Road,” formed by residents who are deeply concerned about a proposed industrial solar park in our community. Hanwha Renewables, a South Korean corporation, wants to place an industrial-scale solar facility on 1,588 acres of prime, high-value Exclusive Farm Use land and wetlands east of Harrisburg, Oregon. If this project is approved, it will set a damaging precedent: protected farmland and wetlands could be sacrificed under the banner of clean energy. We want to be clear—we support responsible solar development. What we oppose is the conversion of protected, high-value farmland and wetlands into industrial sites.
The proposed project, Muddy Creek Energy Park, submitted its “Preliminary Application for Site Certificate” to the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council on May 19, 2026. That application is alarmingly incomplete. Much of it appears to rely on boilerplate language rather than meaningful analysis, and it leaves critical questions unanswered: How much water will the project require, and where will it come from? What is the fire and emergency response plan? How will temperature and mercury TMDL limits be addressed? What is the wetlands and site-drainage plan? How will wildlife impacts and threatened species be protected? Why is there no clear effort to reduce the project footprint? These omissions are not minor details—they go to the heart of whether this project can be responsibly sited at all.
For the developers, Muddy Creek Energy Park is convenient: the land is flat, a substation is nearby, major tax incentives are available, and Oregon’s governor has publicly urged the siting council to fast-track this project and others like it. But for Oregon residents, this could become an expensive and irreversible mistake. Longstanding safeguards for farmland, wetlands, wildlife, and rural communities appear to be pushed aside in the rush to approve the project. The proposal may also raise serious federal compliance concerns. At the very least, these issues demand careful, independent scrutiny before any decision is made.
Right now, the Energy Facility Siting Council is reviewing Muddy Creek Energy Park’s Preliminary Application. Once that review is complete, Oregon Department of Energy staff will recommend whether the council should approve or reject the site certificate. This is the moment when intervention matters most.
It is not too late to protect this land, this community, and the safeguards that were put in place for a reason. We are asking you, urgently and respectfully, to help ensure this project receives the full scrutiny it deserves before irreversible damage is done.
For more information about Muddy Creek Energy Park and Friends of Gap Road, please visit our website: Friendsofgaproad.com
Sincerely,
