FSEC recommends governor approve Carriger Solar and 63 MW battery; council approves recommendation 6-1

The Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council voted to recommend that the governor approve the draft site certification agreement and accompanying recommendation report for the Carriger Solar Project in Klickitat County, moving the project forward despite public opposition and concerns from local officials.

FSEC staff said the draft site certification agreement and a revised mitigated determination of non-significance (RMDNS) were revised after direct consultation with the Yakama Nation and public comment and were published for public review in June. "We refined the draft SCA to address several of the Yakama Nation's concerns following the June 4 meeting," said Joanne Snarski, siting specialist for the council. "Those revisions and other edits were published for comment and are reflected in the draft that the council considered today."

The Carriger project is proposed as a 160-megawatt solar-only generation facility paired with a 63-megawatt battery energy storage system on privately owned land in Klickitat County. Project materials state the application would occupy up to 1,326 acres within a 2,108-acre lease boundary; those figures come from the project's SCA materials presented to the council.

Why it matters: FSEC is the state body that reviews and, where appropriate, certifies large energy facilities and recommends approval to the governor. A recommendation from FSEC does not itself grant construction authority; it forwards a proposed SCA and staff report to the governor for final action. The council’s approval means the application advances to the executive for consideration, while permit-level details and…