Commission tables PacifiCorp's Claussen 1 solar conditional-use permit, schedules public hearing

PacifiCorp representatives presented plans for the Claussen 1 solar project and a proposed transmission route connecting to the Emery Substation before the Emery County Commission on Sept. 2, 2025. Spencer Martin of Martin & Nicholson Environmental Consultants said the project would be sited mostly on PacifiCorp-owned land about four miles south of town along Highway 10 and described two alternate transmission-line routes; PacifiCorp’s Jeff Wagner was available to answer technical questions. "We submitted that a few weeks ago and we're pleasantly surprised to be on the planning commission meeting a few days later and, and now we're here," Martin said.

The planning commission had reviewed and recommended the application, but several county commissioners said the size of the facility and proximity to private parcels warrant direct public input. Commissioners asked whether adjacent landowners had been contacted and what specific conditions would apply if the county issued a conditional-use permit. One commissioner said the county should treat the hearing as the beginning of the process and not as automatic approval.

After discussion, a motion to table the conditional-use permit and schedule a public hearing, with required notice to adjoining landowners, was approved. Commissioners Warwood, Leonard and Jensen recorded aye votes when the motion passed. The commission’s public hearing will follow the county’s land-use notice requirements and allow staff to draft potential permit conditions based on neighbor concerns.

Why it matters: The Claussen 1 proposal covers a substantial acreage and includes transmission routing that crosses private and (potentially) Bureau of Land Management lands. The public-hearing step gives neighboring landowners an opportunity to raise concerns that could shape required conditions or the final permit decision.