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A multinational green energy developer planning to install solar panels on thousands of acres of Bureau of Land Management land in Deschutes County cleared a key hurdle this week when regulators announced that land for the project could be set aside for an environmental review. The BLM segregated 4,037 acres of public land from appropriation so the review can proceed, according to a notice in the Federal Register. The project is being developed by Enel Greenpower North America LLC , which operates around 100 energy plants across North America, including hydroelectric, wind, solar and geothermal.
Solar power is a growing renewable energy source as state and federal governments look for ways to reduce their carbon footprints. In 2007 the Oregon Legislature established a climate goal of lowering greenhouse gas emissions to 45% below 1990 levels by 2035 and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. Massive solar projects proposed for thousands of acres of Deschutes County BLM land Enel’s planned project in Deschutes County is located on BLM land east of U.
S. Highway 97 near Redmond. Known as the Expedition Solar Project, it could produce up to 700 megawatts of power, the Bureau of Land Management said in September .
Enel says it has not decided on the number of panels it will place at the facility and cannot confirm its capacity. Public input will be gathered during the environmental review process. The BLM action on Wednesday technically “withdraws” the lands from public land law for two years, the amount of time it may take to complete the review.
The Secretary of the Interior has the authority to withdraw lands in federal ownership, removing the area from settlement, sale or entry. “The segregation could be extended for an additional two years through a new notice, should it be needed,” Faith Smitz, a realty specialist with the Bureau of Land Management, said in an email. “During that time, the BLM will be reviewing the potential environmental impacts of the proposal.
” If built, Expedition will be among the largest solar power facilities in the United States. Other large solar farms include the Copper Mountain Solar Facility, 802 megawatts, in Nevada, the Imperial Valley Solar Project, 794 megawatts, in California and the Solar Star farm, 579 megawatts, also in California. 'The potential is huge': AltaRock pursues geothermal energy at Newberry Crater The Bureau of Land Management has big plans for opening up public lands for utility-scale solar energy developments, including in Deschutes County.
A second proposed project in Central Oregon would use 3,265 acres of public land southeast of La Pine. The potential capacity of these power stations is greater than the 500-megawatt Pelton-Round Butte dam complex, currently the largest producer of power in Central Oregon. They would also be much larger than any other solar project in Central Oregon.
Currently, Deschutes County is home to four solar farms between 10 and 13 megawatts. Crook County has three solar farms in the 40- to 60-megawatt range. In September, Oregon’s Energy Facility Siting Council approved the Wagon Trail Solar Project, a 500-megawatt solar facility in Morrow County, Kalez said.
That one is the largest approved solar project in Oregon to date..
