Energy Facility Siting Council to Meet April 22-23
SALEM — The next regularly scheduled meeting of Oregon’s Energy Facility Siting Council will be held both in-person and virtually Thursday-Friday, April 22-23, 2021. The in-person meeting location will be the Inn at Cross Keys Station in Madras, OR. The meeting will begin at 5:15 p.m. on Thursday and 8:30 a.m. on Friday.
The main items on the Council’s agenda are:
Madras Solar Energy Facility, Draft Proposed Order Public Hearing – Senior Siting Analyst, Chase McVeigh-Walker, will provide an overview of the proposed facility and the procedural history of the Application for Site Certificate (ASC). Joe Allen, Senior Administrative Law Judge, Oregon Office of Administrative Hearings, will provide an overview of the scope of the hearing. Interested individuals will have an opportunity to provide oral testimony on the ASC and Draft Proposed Order. Written comments may also be submitted to the Department through the close of the public hearing.
Montague Wind Power Facility, Request to Amend Wildlife Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (Action Item) – Senior Policy Advisor, Sarah Esterson, will present a request by Montague Wind Power Facility, LLC to amend the post-construction fatality monitoring study (survey methods and statistical analysis tool) of the Wildlife Monitoring and Mitigation Plan.
Golden Hills Wind Project, Request to Amend Wildlife Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (Action Item) – Senior Policy Advisor, Sarah Esterson, will present a request by Golden Hills Wind Farm LLC to amend the post-construction fatality monitoring study (survey methods and statistical analysis tool) of the Wildlife Monitoring and Mitigation Plan.
Protected Areas Rulemaking (Potential Action Item) – Siting Policy Analyst and Rules Coordinator, Christopher Clark, will review stakeholder advice received on the Council’s Protected Areas, Scenic Resources, and Recreation Standards and will present staff’s recommendations for the conduct of rulemaking proceedings and draft proposed rule revisions. Council will determine whether additional opportunities for public participation in the development of proposed rules are needed prior to the consideration of proposed rules.
Council Appointment of Consultant for Exhibit S (Historic, Cultural and Archeological Resources), Review of Request to Ratify an Emergency Order (Action Item) – Senior Policy Advisor, Sarah Esterson, will present a request to ratify an emergency order, approved by Chair Marcia L. Grail, to approve the Department’s use of consultants for review of ASC Exhibit S for the Nolin Hills Wind Project.
There will be opportunity for public comment both days.
The full meeting agenda and other meeting materials are available on the ODOE website: www.oregon.gov/energy/facilities-safety/facilities/Pages/Council-Meetings.aspx.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Oregon Department of Energy and Energy Facility Siting Council are practicing social distancing measures, so this meeting will be made available remotely using the online Webex platform. Please see the meeting agenda for detailed instructions on how to participate.
To request an interpreter for the hearing impaired or accommodations for persons with disabilities, please contact the department at least 72 hours before the meeting at 1-800-221-8035 or fax 503-373-7806. TTY users should call the Oregon Relay Service at 711.
