A renewable energy company is looking to make Oregon a little more eco-friendly by developing one of the largest solar and battery storage fields in the state.
Brookfield Renewable U.S. announced that it plans to build a massive solar farm stretching across around 8,782 acres (approximately 13.72 square miles) right next to a popular racetrack about a 30-mile drive 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 certificate for the location of the project.
This is a key step in developing the large solar field that has been predicted to generate enough energy to power up to 150,000 homes, according to Electrek.
Developing the solar farm to produce more clean power will not only benefit the planet, but will also boost the local economy by potentially lowering energy costs and creating hundreds of jobs in the region.
As the state moves forward to review the solar farm plan, there have been mixed reactions to the project and its potential success.
"Sounds good! Best of luck," one reader commented on the Electrek article.
One person worried that as the project site is just over two hours away from Portland, it might not get enough sunlight to generate strong power.
"Eastern Oregon out by Bend is very sunny. Portland not so much," the reader wrote.
However, another pointed out that the project site is east of the Cascade Mountain range meaning, "more power but close enough to Portland for reasonable power transmission."
Specifically, officials with Brookfield Renewable U.S. have said the solar power facility will generate around 900 megawatts of clean energy capacity, supporting and stabilizing the local power grid with low-cost energy — all without adding harmful pollution from dirty fuels.
In an effort to make the project even better for the planet, the company said the solar field will be designed in a way to protect local wildlife.
While some projects grow food directly under solar panels — which can protect crops during extreme weather events like heat waves — officials said the solar arrays will be built in "ribbons" along the edges of fields in this case, allowing for the land to still be used for agriculture, per Electrek. The facility is also expected to create more jobs in the region, both during and after construction.
"With Speedway, we want to preserve the county's legacy of natural resource stewardship," Brookfield Renewable U.S. vice president of development John Soininen said in the press release. "By working with the landowners, we can reach our twin goals of decarbonizing the grid and maintaining the character of the region."
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