County hears ODOE update on 14,000‑acre Deschutes solar and battery proposal as neighbors raise water concerns
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Summary
State energy officials briefed Wasco County on BrightNight’s 1,000‑MW solar and 4,000‑MWh battery preliminary application covering about 14,418 acres; neighbors warned about potential water use and loss of local control if House Bill 4031 passes. The county will hold a March 4 public session to craft local feedback.
State energy regulators updated Wasco County commissioners on the preliminary application for the Deschutes Solar and Battery Energy Storage System, a BrightNight proposal that would place roughly 1,000 megawatts of solar capacity and 4,000 megawatt‑hours of battery storage on about 14,418 acres in the Juniper Flat/Pine Grove area.
Kathleen Sloan, representing the Oregon Department of Energy, told the board the application is currently incomplete and that agency staff will request more information before issuing a Draft Proposed Order. She said the project boundary is unusual because it contains “donut holes” — 13 parcels owned by 12 nonparticipating landowners inside the external boundary — and that the developer proposes to place arrays in 46 distinct clusters within a micrositing corridor while leaving intervening areas as so‑called avoidance zones. Sloan said the application also proposes a new substation and a concentrated battery facility to intertie with an existing Bonneville Power Administration transmission line.
Why it matters: The site sits almost entirely on Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) land, and local governments, neighboring landowners and resource agencies will want clarity on how the state’s energy facility siting rules interact with county land‑use and wildfire safety requirements. Sloan emphasized that public comments filed now may not preserve a party’s rights in a future contested case and urged the public to submit comments during the upcoming Draft Proposed Order phase.
At the meeting, several residents raised concerns about water and local control. Steve Ronfeld of The Dalles told commissioners he worries that large commercial solar and cleaning operations could strain local water resources and said he has spoken with the Watermaster. Ronfeld cited staff estimates that the project might require “240,000 gallons for operations and 500,000–750,000 gallons for annual cleaning” and urged the county to use its influence to protect established water rights.
Commissioners and Planning Director Daniel Dougherty said the county is analyzing land‑use and wildfire safety implications and will hold a local public session on March 4 to gather feedback to submit to the state. Vice Chair Philip Brady confirmed with Sloan that submitting a comment on the project website does not replace the need to comment during the official DPO phase.
What’s next: Wasco County plans a March 4 public session to compile and forward local questions and concerns to ODOE during the formal energy facility siting process; ODOE will continue its completeness review and request supplemental information from the applicant as needed.