POMEROY–The Appaloosa Solar Project, a joint venture by Pac Soleil and Qcells responding to Puget Sound Energy's request for proposal, was the topic of an informational meeting at the Pomeroy Junior/Senior High School January 18.

The project, owned by James Shretter and Peter Besenovsky of Pac Soleil, is planned to be placed on lands owned by the Barr, Klaveano and Morgan families, straddling Highway 127, about 18 miles from Pomeroy. It is split into two phases. Phase one will cover 900 acres, consisting of approximately 60% range and 40% cultivated land at the current configuration, which is subject to change. It includes six acres of undisturbed land. The completion of phase two would make the project the biggest in the state, able to power over 50,000 homes.

The project will use tracking panels, which articulate to follow the sun throughout the day, and will piggy back on the transmission line currently used by PSE's Lower Snake River Wind Facility using surplus transmission. Conflict between the two projects is expected to be minimal, according to Besenovsky, who stated that solar and wind turbine energy creation are "95% complementary, since the wind turbines' high-output time is winter and evening and the high-output time for solar is summer and day."

The cost of Phase I is estimated at over $200,000,000, and it is expected to provide between 100 to 200 construction jobs. Property taxes that would be paid to Garfield County is estimated to be $17,500,000 over the first 30 years of the project's operation. After the project's anticipated life span of 35-40 years, it will be decommissioned and the land returned to its prior condition.

Construction of phase one of the Appaloosa Solar Project is expected to begin mid-year of 2023 and be completed at the end of 2024.