The Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) approved the Sunstone Solar project. Considered the largest solar project in the United States, Pine Gate Renewables may now proceed with construction of the 1.2 GW solar and 1.2 GW storage project.
The Sunstone Solar project site spans 10,000 acres and will sit on private land that is zoned for farm use. According to a company announcement, Pine Gate worked with Morrow County and agricultural organizations to create a program that aims to offset the project’s impact on the local agricultural economy. The first-of-its-kind initiative will invest more than $1,000 per project acre into a county-managed fund for programs that support the local agricultural economy and improve the long-term viability and resilience of Morrow County’s wheat farms.
“As a lifelong resident of Morrow County, I’m excited for Sunstone Solar to move forward so the local community can benefit from the economic opportunities that the project will bring,” said Ken Grieb, a wheat farmer and landowner in the project. “Pine Gate has demonstrated how large energy facility development can be done thoughtfully and collaboratively.”
The EFSC approval was the final step in the state’s evaluation and public engagement process, marking a significant step forward for Pine Gate Renewables, the state of Oregon, and renewable energy in the United States.
“Oregon’s energy facility permitting process is one of the most rigorous in the entire country,” said Ben Catt, CEO of Pine Gate Renewables. “The recent unanimous permit approval is a testament to the way our team worked with stakeholders to provide a win-win for Oregon and the Morrow County community.”
Pine Gate is in discussions with customers and local utilities to purchase the electricity and environmental attributes of the energy produced by the project which will interconnect to the Bonneville Power Administration via the Umatilla Electric Cooperative system. The project will begin the engineering and procurement process in early 2025 ahead of phased construction starting in 2026.
“The fight against the climate crisis depends on a variety of successful energy solutions like Pine Gate Renewables’ solar power and energy storage project in Eastern Oregon,” said U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). “This is just another example of the important federal investments I fought for in the Inflation Reduction Act, and I will continue to advocate for tech-neutral solutions in our tax code that promote innovation and efficiency in Oregon and across the nation.”
Pine Gate owns and operates 17 other solar projects in Oregon. The company acquired the Sunstone Solar project from Gallatin Power Partners in 2022.
Tags: solar + storage, utility-scale
