Malheur County, Oregon
The Malheur County, Oregon BDO Zone for Dairy & Feedlot Manure is rated ‘A’.
Rating Issue Date: April 6, 2026.
'A' ratings denote high prospective viability of Feedstock Supply and Infrastructure and low expectations of default risk in the Zone. Capacity to support new biobased plant operations is considered strong.
Malheur County, OR holds an investment-grade BDO Zone ‘A’ Rating for Manure. Issued in Apr 2026, the rating certifies approximately 190,000 wt/yr of reliable, low-risk biomass feedstock available within a 75-mi driving distance from Nyssa, OR.
A ‘A’ rating is an investment grade rating, signalling a reliable, low-risk feedstock supply. It signals to developers, lenders, and investors that Malheur County, OR’s feedstock supply has undergone rigorous, standardized due diligence across 100+ risk indicators, the same framework applied to every BDO Zone across North America.
Every BDO Zone Rating assesses a region across three dimensions, mapped as expanding radii around a candidate site.
- Feedstock surplus: Data indicating at least 50,000 tonnes per year of excess feedstock available to support typical intake of new biofuels manufacturing plants.
- Supply chain strength: Evidence supporting long-term commitment to supply both quantity and quality by local farmers, forestry companies, food waste generators, haulers and municipalities.
- Sound infrastructure: Suitable transportation, logistic, operating and supporting infrastructure to meet the requirements for new facility operations.
Assets & liabilities
- Feedlots and Oregon dairies are willing to sell to new buyers, as current market is seasonal and frequently saturated.
- A manure-based bio-project would complement regulatory goals of minimizing manure land application.
- Manure management procedures and equipment are already in place.
- High confidence in continuation of modelled manure generation levels due to strong historical performance of the region's dairy and beef industries.
- For projects requiring a liquefied feedstock, water use regulations may lead to technical and economic barriers to feedlot manure liquefaction.
- There is uncertainty in expected pricing, as indicated by the wide rated price range.
Infrastructure & sites
- Location: Arcadia Blvd., Nyssa; centrally positioned within a major cattle production region; strong regional transportation connectivity
- Site Size: ~280 acres, industrial-zoned
- Availability: Development-ready industrial land; large contiguous parcels
- Rail: Over 4 miles of rail siding on site, enabling direct freight access
- Transportation: Efficient access for trucking and logistics
- Utilities: Industrial zoning supports utility servicing
- Location: 1000 Washington St E, Vale; positioned within an agricultural and agribusiness hub
- Site Size: ~45.9 acres total; includes additional ~29-acre parcel
- Buildings: ~165,000 sq. ft. of warehouse and office space
- Heating/Energy: Geothermal well on site
- Water: On-site well infrastructure
- Wastewater: Connected to City of Vale sewer system
- Location: TBD Alameda Dr., Ontario; located within the Urban Growth Area
- Site Size: ~115 acres; large contiguous parcel
- Zoning: Industrial (C-1/3); supports a wide range of uses
- Rail: Bordered on two sides by active rail lines
- Road Access: Bordered by paved road providing immediate access
Local grants & incentives
- Eastern Oregon Border Economic Development Board (EOBED)
- Oregon Enterprise Zone Program property tax abatement
- Strategic Investment Program (SIP) tax abatement
- Business Oregon financing
- Oregon Workforce and Talent Development programs
- Oregon Investment Advantage
- USDA Rural Development
Contacts
