17 square miles of Benton County agricultural land may be home to this new kind of farm
A second large solar generation project is proposed for a rural area of Benton County before construction on the first one being discussed has begun.
The Hop Hill Solar Project would be built on an 17 square miles, just east of Highway 241 on the south face of Rattlesnake Ridge and about seven miles northeast of Sunnyside.
It would produce up to 500 megawatts of solar energy power and also would include up to 500 megawatts of battery storage.
But only 28% to 30% of the land would be covered with solar panels, each standing 8-to 10-feet tall.
The rest of the land would be used for grazing sheep and agriculture production, according to BrightNight, the company which has proposed the project. Undeveloped land also would provide a buffer for natural habitat surrounding the project.
Now all of the land is used only for grazing and other non-irrigated agriculture.
“In our conversations with the local community, we realize that keeping productive land in use was very important,” said Chris Wissel-Tyson, BrightNight vice president of development in a video the company produced to explain the project.
The Hop Hill Solar Project is in addition to a proposal for the Wautoma solar generation project to its north in Benton County.
The Wautoma project would be on about seven square miles of Highway 241 about 12 miles northeast of Sunnyside — or about five miles north of the Hop Hill project.
Innergex, which plans the Wautoma project, has applied for approval for its project to the Washington state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) and a meeting and public hearing on it is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 8 at the Gjerde Center Building at Columbia Basin College in Pasco.
Seeking Benton County OK
Unlike Innergex, BrightNight has chosen to apply to Benton County for approval of the Hop Hill Solar Project.
Clean energy companies have the option of applying for either county or state approval of projects in Washington.
BrightNight began the application process before a new county ordinance at the end of 2021 effectively prohibited large solar projects in the county’s Growth Management Act Agricultural District.
BrightNight will be required to submit an environmental study to the county, and the county is accepting comments through Aug. 24 on what should be included in the study, called an environmental impact statement.
“Here at BrightNight we really pride ourselves on taking a collaborative approach with the community,” Wissel-Tyson said. “It is very important for us to understand the issues and problems they have with projects and address them.”
The Hop Hill Solar Project would produce $50 million to $75 million in tax revenue over as many as 35 years.
Construction could begin in January 2024 with a planned commercial operation date of December 2025.
During construction 250 to 300 jobs would be created over about 18 months, with most workers expected to be hired from Benton County and nearby. Three to five people would be employed when it operates.
The project could bring valuable diversity in energy production to the area and help ensure that it continues to be a leader in energy production for years to come, BrightNight said.
About 40% of Washington state’s power is produced within a 100-mile radius of the Tri-Cities, including hydro, nuclear and wind production.
Comments on the scope of the environmental impact statement for the Hop Hill project must be postmarked by Aug. 24 and sent to Benton County Planning Division, P.O. Box 910, Prosser, WA 99350.
They also can be emailed to Planning.Department@co.benton.wa.us by Aug. 24.
