By Ann Jantz
Rocket Miner
Via Wyoming News Exchange
ROCK SPRINGS -– The Sweetwater County Commission has granted Sweetwater Solar LLC a conditional-use permit to construct, operate and decommission an 80-megawatt solar photovoltaic electric generation facility approximately 7.5 miles northwest of the intersection of Interstate 80 and the Peru Hill exit along Highway 372.
This will be Wyoming’s first utility-scale solar project. The permit was approved for a 30-year period, which would be consistent with the Bureau of Land Management right of way grant and the anticipated life of the project.
During the public hearing portion of the meeting on May 15, several people voiced concern about the proposed solar farm.
Resident Michelle Irwin, who is also a representative from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, said they have “a lot of concerns” about the solar farm negatively impacting pronghorn migration through the area. Fencing around the facility narrows the migration corridor to 600 feet, a corridor which is already impacted by rail line and other fencing in the area, Irwin added.
“We know we’re going to be causing problems if we build this there,” Irwin said.
She asked that another site be considered for the solar farm.
Craig Rood, site manager with Ciner, said the company also has reservations about a huge facility being constructed over the trona reserves in the area. He noted Ciner provides 430 jobs in Sweetwater County compared to the nine full-time positions needed to maintain the solar farm once it is constructed.
His other concern was with the power line tying into the nearby Raven substation. He questioned the reliability and did not want the solar farm interfering with the flow of power out of the substation.
Commissioner John Kolb said in Wyoming subsurface mineral rights have primacy over surface rights. Keeping this in mind, he said he did not think having a solar farm over trona reserves would affect Ciner’s right to those minerals.
Representative from Dominion Energy also weighed in about an existing, older 8-inch steel pipeline that runs through the proposed site. Todd Redmon, supervisor of regular operations at Dominion, said the company is in support of the solar project but wanted some guarantee that the pipeline is not damaged by regular crossings over this right of way. The main customer on that line is Airgas, he added.
Betsey Biesty, 174 Power Global Corp director of permitting, said the company will take all these concerns under consideration and will work to accommodate them.
A concern raised by the Wyoming Department of Transportation was about the solar glare that could be created by the panels, and the department requested a study. Biesty said a study was conducted for both car-height and truck-height vehicles, and no glare was detected.
WyDOT also requested a traffic study to see how the panels would impact traffic in this area.
Kolb credited Sweetwater Solar for cooperating and compromising throughout the planning of this project. He did, however, see the need for care since this will be the first solar farm in Wyoming.
“We do have to be careful. You are the model,” he said.
Conditions placed on the issuing of the permit include:
Approval takes effect when the Bureau of Land Management grants a right of way and Rock Springs Grazing Association grants an easement, and shall expire when the BLM right of way expires;
Approval based on the alternative site configuration submitted to the BLM for environmental assessment. Any substantial changes may result in revocation of the permit and require the company to reapply;
That the project remains in compliance with the application, conditions and CUP regulations;
Bird flight diverters to be installed on the perimeter fence based on recommendations from Game and Fish;
Work with WyDOT to mitigate safety issues caused by glare;
Work with BLM cooperating agencies to implement adaptive management efforts;
Work and remain in compliance with Sweetwater County Weed and Pest Board rules and regulations;
The pipeline access easement shall not be utilized by Sweetwater Solar as an access road for vehicular traffic or any activities not covered in the agreement with Dominion Energy or consistent with the BLM right of way agreement, and
A Sweetwater County Construction permit will not be approved until a final executed agreement has occurred between Dominion Energy and Sweetwater Solar LLC.