Lower Columbia Clean Energy Center Project - Notice of Intent
Westward Energy LLC has submitted a notice of intent to submit a site certificate application for the proposed Lower Columbia Clean Energy Center Project. The proposed facility is an integrated coal gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant. The proposed site is the Port Westward Industrial Area near Clatskanie, Oregon. The facility would have a peak generating capacity of 520 megawatts.
An IGCC power plant uses coal gasification to create a synthetic natural gas, and then uses some or all of the synthetic natural gas to fuel a power plant. This type of plant can be cleaner than a simple coal-fired plant, but it must be carefully designed and operated to meet air quality standards. The air quality permit is under jurisdiction of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The Department and DEQ will make every effort to coordinate the site certificate and air quality permit reviews.
The project would include a corridor for electric transmission. The notice of intent describes two possible routes: (1) arranging for transmission to the BPA Allston Substation over Portland General Electric’s transmission system that serves the PGE Port Westward power plant (now completing construction), or (2) transmission along Clatskanie Public Utility District (CPUD) right of way to BPA’s Driscoll switchyard.
If you have comments or questions about this notice, contact Adam Bless by e-mail or by mail to: Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion Street NE, Salem Oregon 97301-3737; Telephone: (503) 378-8692 or (800) 221-8035, extension 226 (toll-free in Oregon), Fax: (503) 373-7806.
Golden Hills Wind Farm Project - Application
BP Alternative Energy of North America, Inc. has submitted a preliminary application for a site certificate for the Golden Hills Wind Farm Project. The Department is reviewing the preliminary application for completeness.
The proposed facility is a wind energy facility that would be located in Sherman County, west of Wasco, Oregon. The facility would have a combined peak generating capacity of up to 400 megawatts. The facility would include up to 267 wind turbines, new access roads and improvements to existing roads, underground and above ground collector systems, two transmission lines, one or two electrical substations and an Operations and Maintenance facility.
The preliminary application is too large for posting on this website. The preliminary application is posted on the applicant's website. Copies are also available for public review at the Oregon Department of Energy in Salem and will be available at Wasco City Hall, 1017 Clark St. in Wasco. If you cannot get to these locations, you can contact the Department, and we will arrange a way to send you the information.
Comments and Questions
If you have comments or questions about this notice, contact Adam Bless by e-mail or by mail to: Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion Street NE, Salem Oregon 97301-3737; Telephone: (503) 378-8692 or (800) 221-8035, extension 226 (toll-free in Oregon), Fax: (503) 373-7806.
Shepherds Flat Wind Farm - Application
The Department has issued a Proposed Order recommending that the Council issue a site certificate to Caithness Shepherds Flat, LLC for the proposed Shepherds Flat Wind Farm, subject to conditions. The Proposed Order contains a detailed description of the proposed facility, a detailed description of the potential impacts of construction and operation, recommended findings regarding compliance with Oregon energy facility siting standards and recommended site certificate conditions.
Proposed Order, June 2008 [1.0 MB pdf] Attachment A (Wildlife Monitoring and Mitigation Plan) [111 kb pdf] Attachment B (Revegetation Plan) [54 kb pdf] Attachment C (Habitat Mitigation Plan) [50 kb pdf] Attachment D (Application Comments and Department Responses) [136 kb pdf]
Attachment E (Draft Proposed Order Comments and Department Responses [147 kb pdf]
If approved, the proposed Shepherds Flat Wind Farm would be a wind energy facility consisting of not more than 303 wind turbines. The facility would have a combined peak generating capacity of up to 909 megawatts. The applicant has not selected the turbine types for the project, but turbine tower hub height would not exceed 105 meters (345 feet) and overall height (maximum blade tip height) would not exceed 150 meters (492 feet). In addition to the wind turbines, the facility would include not more than 70 miles of new access roads on private property, two field workshops, two substations, six meteorological towers and not more than 21 miles of aboveground 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line. Up to 158 miles of 34.5-kV collector lines would transport the power from each turbine to the collector substations. Most of the 34.5-kV system would be underground, but aboveground segments could be installed on single-pole, cross-arm structures or understrung on the 230-kV transmission line support structures.
The facility would be located partly in Gilliam County and partly in Morrow County. The project area lies between Highway 19 and Highway 74 on privately-owned land. The site is approximately five miles southeast of Arlington. The power output of the facility would enter the Federal Columbia River Transmission System through Bonneville Power Administration’s Slatt Substation.
The complete application consists of the Amended Preliminary Application submitted in February 2007 and the Application Supplement submitted in November 2007. These documents are available for public review at the Oregon Department of Energy in Salem, at the Gilliam County Library, 310 S. Main in Condon, at the Arlington Public Library, 500 W. First Street in Arlington and at the Boardman Library, 200 South Main Street in Boardman.
The Council will take final action on the site certificate request at the meeting in Boardman on July 25.
Comments and Questions
If you have comments or questions about this notice, contact John White by e-mail or by mail to: Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion Street NE, Salem Oregon 97301-3737, Telephone: 503-378-3194 or (800) 221-8035, extension 295 (toll-free in Oregon); Fax: (503) 373-7806.
Cascade Wind Project - Application
On April 10, 2007, First Wind, formerly UPC Wind Development, LLC, submitted a preliminary application for a site certificate for the proposed Cascade Wind Project (Cascade Wind Project). The proposed facility is a wind energy facility that would have a peak generating capacity of approximately 60 megawatts. The proposed site is at Seven Mile Hill, near The Dalles in Wasco County, Oregon. A detailed description is in sections B and C of the Application for Site Certificate. The Department is reviewing the preliminary application and additional information for completeness.
The public may review the application at the Oregon Department of Energy in Salem, at The Dalles Public Library, 722 Court Street, The Dalles, and at the Wasco County Land Use Department, 2705 East Second Street, The Dalles.
The applicant has posted the preliminary application on the Cascade Wind website.
If you have comments or questions about this notice, contact Adam Bless by e-mail or by mail to: Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion Street NE, Salem Oregon 97301-3737; Telephone: (503) 378-8692 or (800) 221-8035, extension 226 (toll-free in Oregon), Fax: (503) 373-7806.
Cascade Wind Project - name change
UPC Wind, the applicant for the Cascade Wind project, has announced that it is changing its name. The name is changed from UPC Wind to First Wind. The company issued this announcment on May 1, 2008.In their announcement, First Wind stated that :
"...you should notice no change in the day-to-day relationships that you have had with UPC Wind. The organizational structure and local project teams will remain the same."
The Department has noted the name change, and will continue to await supplemental information from First Wind regarding the proposed Cascade Wind project.
Mist Underground Gas Storage Facility - Amendment
At the meeting on May 30, the Council approved a proposal by Northwest Natural (NWN) to consolidate the site certificate for the Mist Underground Gas Storage Facility.
The original site certificate for this facility was issued in 1981. The site certificate has been amended nine time times since then. Each amendment is a separate document. The Council approved the request for Amendment #10. The amendment consolidates the original site certificate and the nine prior amendments into a single document.
The consolidated site certificate includes all the conditions in the original site certificate and the previous nine amendments. In some cases, obsolete references and duplicate conditions were deleted. However, all substantive requirements were preserved. The consolidated site certificate also includes updated maps of the site.
Comments and Questions
If you have comments or questions about this notice, contact Adam Bless by e-mail or by mail to: Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion Street NE, Salem Oregon 97301-3737; Telephone: (503) 378-8692 or (800) 221-8035, extension 226 (toll-free in Oregon), Fax: (503) 373-7806.
Copies of the approved minutes are also available by e-mail. To request copies of minutes, contact Jill Hendrickson by e-mail. Include the date of the Council meeting in your request. See Siting Council Decisions for meeting dates.
Page updated: July 02, 2008
Adobe Reader is required to view PDF files. Click the "Get Adobe Reader" image to get a free download of the reader from Adobe.
