A renewable energy company wants to make Oregon a little greener by developing one of the state’s largest solar and battery storage fields.
Brookfield Renewable US announced that it plans to build a massive solar farm covering approximately 8,782 acres (about 13.72 square miles) right next to a popular race track about 30 miles south of the Washington border.
In late July, the company filed a notice of intent with the Oregon Department of Energy regarding its plan to submit an application for a site permit for the project site.
This is a crucial step in the development of the large solar field, which is expected to generate enough energy to power up to 150,000 homes, according to Electrek.
Expanding the solar farm to produce more clean energy will not only benefit the planet, but will also boost the local economy by potentially reducing energy costs and creating hundreds of jobs in the area.
As the state continues to review solar farm plans, there are mixed reactions to the project and its potential success.
“Sounds good! Good luck,” one reader commented on the Electrek article.
One person was concerned that because the project site is just over two hours from Portland, it might not receive enough sunlight to generate sufficient electricity.
“It’s very sunny in Eastern Oregon near Bend. Not so much in Portland,” the reader wrote.
However, another pointed out that the project site is east of the Cascade Range, meaning “there is more power available but it is close enough to Portland for adequate power transmission.”
Notably, Brookfield Renewable US officials have stated that the solar power plant will generate approximately 900 megawatts of clean energy and support and stabilize the local power grid with low-cost energy – without additional harmful pollution from dirty fuels.
To make the project even more environmentally friendly, the company said the solar field would be designed to protect local wildlife.
While some projects grow food directly beneath solar panels – which can protect crops during extreme weather events like heatwaves – in this case, the solar arrays will be built in “bands” along field edges so the land can still be used for agriculture, according to Electrek. The facility is also expected to create additional jobs in the region during and after completion.
“With Speedway, we aim to preserve the county’s heritage of natural resource management,” said John Soininen, U.S. vice president of development at Brookfield Renewable, in the press release. “By working with the landowners, we can achieve our dual goals of decarbonizing the grid and preserving the region’s character.”
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