Commission approves Quicksilver solar expansion and Mosaida Energy natural-gas plant with road, access and decommissioning conditions

The Utah County Planning Commission approved two related land-use items brought by renewable-energy developers: (1) an amendment to the Quicksilver solar conditional-use approval to add about 480 acres and (2) a separate conditional-use approval for a natural-gas electrical generation facility sited in the Cedar Valley area.

Quicksilver amendment and access: the applicant requested an amendment to expand an earlier approved solar facility (the Quicksilver project) by roughly 480 acres. Staff recommended approval with the addition of a condition that reserved a 56-foot-wide access corridor to ensure that properties isolated by the expanded layout would retain a route for future access. Adrienne Bell of Holland & Hart, representing the developer, said the parcels added are intended to improve project contiguity and that the company will agree to the 56-foot reserved access requirement.

Public commenters from Fairfield, Lehigh and nearby unincorporated communities told the commission that construction traffic has previously strained local roads. Fairfield Mayor Holly McKinney said the town’s local roads were not designed for frequent heavy freight traffic and asked that developers be required to obtain easements and contribute to road maintenance. Local landowners and a Lehigh planning commissioner asked for surveys and legal assurances that islanded parcels would have recorded rights of access. Staff proposed — and the commission adopted — an added condition that a preferred construction-access route be approved by county public-works staff, developed in consultation with adjacent jurisdictions where feasible, and that developers be required to repair and restore any public or private roads damaged by construction traffic.

Mosaida Energy natural-gas plant: the commission also approved a conditional-use application for a natural-gas-fired electrical generation facility that the applicant said could include up to 12 combustion turbines and is intended to provide firm, round-the-clock power to underwrite data-center and other large power customers in the near term. Greg Probst, consultant for the applicant, said the project is part of a combined strategy to pair new solar and battery resources with dispatchable generation to supply firm power while regional transmission upgrades proceed. He told commissioners the team has secured an interconnection bay at the nearby substation and is coordinating water, pipeline and air-quality permitting; he also said a likely construction workforce would number several hundred and permanent staffing would be in the low double digits.

Conditions and follow-up: commissioners required several clarifying conditions for both approvals. Those included: (a) a reserved access corridor for properties isolated by the Quicksilver amendment; (b) an approved construction-access route to be reviewed and approved by county public works in coordination with adjacent jurisdictions; (c) a requirement that any roads used for construction be maintained and restored and (d) a decommissioning plan and financial assurance (bond) for the solar project. Staff also noted that tower heights, exhaust stacks and a water tank associated with the gas plant will require separate conditional-use reviews and cannot be resolved in the current general approvals.

Public concern: speakers emphasized road wear and safety from heavy construction traffic, incomplete easements and non-standard property surveys, and uncertainty over panel decommissioning and disposal. The applicant said access would primarily be from Eagle Mountain via Lake Mountain Road; that they will perform site surveys, obtain necessary easements and work with Eagle Mountain for road upgrades; and that decommissioning plans and bonds will be submitted at permit stage.

Outcome: both items passed on motions to approve with staff-recommended findings and the additional access/road and decommissioning conditions.