Columbia Solar Project plan in Wash. state advances to governor

A Washington state panel is recommending government approval of the 25-megawatt Columbia Solar Project.

The Washington Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) has issued its final recommendation on the alternative energy proposal by TUUSSO Energy, LLC (TUUSSO), officials said, clearing the way for a signature from Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.

The Columbia Solar Application for Site Certification (ASC) proposes the construction of five new photovoltaic (PV) facilities at five site locations in Kittitas County, Wash. Officials said the sites would be named Camas, Fumaria, Penstemon, Typha and Urtica.

Each new solar array would be capable of providing up to five megawatts of solar energy within the Puget Sound Energy (PSE) service area, for a total of 25 megawatts of electrical power generation.

EFSEC was created by state lawmakers in 1970, officials said, as a means of providing one-stop licensing for large energy projects, noting 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.

The Kittitas Valley, which officials said is one of the sunniest areas of the state, possesses array sites in close proximity to existing PSE electrical infrastructure.

Locations selected by TUUSSO Energy were based on several criteria, per officials, including consistency with the Kittitas County zoning code and comprehensive plan, land use efficiencies and placement on previously disturbed farmland to avoid environmentally sensitive areas.