Olympia, Wash. - The Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council received an application from One Energy Renewables to construct and run a new solar photovoltaic project in Yakima County.
The company plans to build the 80 megawatt (MW) Goose Prairie Solar Facility with an optional battery storage system capable of storing up to 80 MW of energy near the city of Moxee.
If approved, the facility will use solar photovoltaic panels to convert energy from the sun into electric power to deliver to the electric power grid. The panels will tilt throughout the day to follow the sun, maximizing energy output.
The council will evaluate the application to consider all environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the project before making a recommendation to the governor on whether he should approve or deny the application. The evaluation process will include opportunities for public comment.
The governor will have final approval over siting the project.
EFSEC was created by the state Legislature in 1970 to provide one-stop permitting for large energy projects. The council's responsibilities include siting large natural gas and oil pipelines, thermal electric power plants that are 350 megawatts or greater and their dedicated transmission lines, new oil refineries or large expansions of existing facilities, and underground natural gas storage fields.