800 Megawatt Solar Project Proposed in Wasco County
by Cole Goodwin
The Dalles, Ore., November 7, 2023 – Wasco County Commissioners have received a notice of intent to build an ambitious 8,075 acre, 800 megawatt solar project, valued at over $1 billion, called Yellow Rosebush Energy Center.
The project is being proposed about 11 miles outside of Maupin, OR and could power as many as 182,000 homes.
A map of the proposed solar project.
The proposed location will sit to the east side of Bakeoven road very near to the Bakeovern Solar Project, a 1,270 acre, 60 megawatt project which is currently under construction on the South side of Bakeoven Road towards Shaniko. Supporting facilities for the neighboring Bakeoven project include a 100 MW battery storage system, collector substation, operations and maintenance building, and an approximately 11 mile, 230 kilovolt transmission line. The facility site boundary includes approximately 10,640 acres.
The location is being considered ideal for solar projects due to a number of reasons including its remote location, existing Bonneville Power Administration infrastructure which allows for ease of imputing power into the existing power grid and the low agricultural value of the land due to poor soil quality.
Yellow Rosebush was sited to minimize possible environmental and habitat impacts and the development team is actively invovled with Oregon Department of Energy and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to adequately mitigate any identified impacts.
Wasco County Commissioner Scott Hege said he saw the development of the land as an opportunity to build the tax base in south county to support schools and social services.
“There’s always pros and cons to everything. The plus side of these projects is that they will bring a tax base to our County and to all of our taxing districts and it will create some jobs so that’s a positive,” said Hege.
The project would also benefit regional energy consumers who want to lower their carbon footprint by purchasing renewable energy.
Oregon’s renewable energy resources account for about 70% of the total in-state electricity net generation in 2022. The majority (51%) of that electricity comes from hydroelectric sources, with 14% being from wind power, 3% being solar, 2% from biomass generation, and 1% from geothermal energy.
Natural gas power accounted for the other 30% of the state’s total net generation in 2022.
Oregon's renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS) requires that at least 50% of the electricity sold in Oregon come from renewable-sourced generation by 2040. And the Clean Energy Standard calls for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 80% of baseline by 2030, 90% by 2035, and 100% by 2040.
Hege noted, however, that one of the downsides included the fact that some people view such projects as eyesores.
Other concerns brought up at the Wasco County Commissioners meeting on November 1st, 2023 included impacts to tribal nations cultural resources such as access to sacred first foods and environmental impacts.T he Yellow Rosebush team confirmed they have been in communication with impacted tribes to allow for input on the project.
The project is only in its very beginning phases now, and its first public information meeting was held in Maupin on November 2nd, 2023. The project is hoping to be completed by the year 2028.
”The public meeting was very positive, and we were pleased with the local turnout. Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) detailed their Energy Facilities Siting Counsel (EFSC) permitting process, while the Savion team introduced the Maupin community to Yellow Rosebush Energy Center solar project,” said Jeff Watson, Development Manager.
“It is the goal of the Yellow Rosebush team to be a good neighbor to the town of Maupin and the broader Wasco and Sherman Counties. We are still in the early stages of project development and welcome all feedback, comments, and questions and concerns so that we can be as diligent as possible in our development efforts,” said Watson.
To connect with the Yellow Rosebush Energy Center project team or to express opinions and concerns, residents can email info@YellowRosebushEnergyCenter.com.
