Planning Commission recommends Huntington Creek solar application be forwarded amid countywide ordinance discussion

The Emery County Planning & Zoning Commission reviewed a preliminary application for the Huntington Creek Solar Project on March 11, recommending by consensus that county staff forward the Level 3 Conditional Use Permit application to the Emery County Commission for final consideration.

Whitney Rubin, presenting remotely for the project, described a two-phase development comprising 240 megawatts of solar generation and 100 megawatts of battery storage. She said the proposal involves about 3,400 acres leased, roughly 2,200 acres of expected disturbance and an estimated 1,700-acre solar array footprint, and that the project would interconnect with a local 345 kV transmission line. Rubin said future work will include environmental and wildlife assessments, cultural resource surveys and wetlands/stream evaluations, and that a decommissioning plan and financial assurance will be required under state rules.

Commission members asked about visibility, site layout, agricultural impacts, participating landowners and transmission capacity. The commission clarified that as a Level 3 CUP the Planning Commission’s role is to review the application for completeness and forward a recommendation to the County Commission rather than to approve or deny the application locally. By consensus the commission accepted the submitted application for review and recommended forwarding it to the County Commission pending coordination with the zoning administrator.

Bruce Wilson recommended additional review steps and noted the application package (about 150 pages) appeared thorough. The commission disclosed that two members own property within the project area; the disclosure was recorded for transparency. Commissioners also emphasized the need for required environmental and cultural studies and for coordination with state and federal agencies prior to permitting.

The commission’s discussion of the project led into a broader conversation about county policy: members urged development of a countywide solar ordinance to align with state law (HB 16) and to set consistent rules on setbacks, allowable project areas, taxpayer incentives and protections for private property rights. Commissioners suggested forming a working group, reviewing other counties’ ordinances and clarifying coordination with utilities on transmission capacity.

Next steps: the Planning Commission forwarded a completeness recommendation to the Emery County Commission; the application will proceed through the county review process and subsequent regulatory studies as required.