A green energy company wants to build a large commercial solar facility in Cache County. Representatives of the company presented their plan to the Cache County Council Tuesday afternoon.
Enel of North America is looking to build a solar-plus-battery-storage energy facility on 1,300 acres of leased agricultural land in Cache Valley west of Logan.
Cache County Director of Development Services Stephen Nelson said developers for Enel — a multinational green power company headquartered out of Italy — requested to meet with both the Cache County Council and the planning commission to go over a potential code amendment proposal that would allow the company to build the facility.
“Our code does not address solar facilities of this nature and therefore our code would prohibit them from being constructed in the manner they want to construct,” Nelson said.
Council chair David Erickson and council member Barbara Tidwell said they had concerns about the handling of the meeting.
“Why wasn’t the planning and zoning approached first and then brought to us? That’s usually what happens isn’t it?” Tidwell asked.
Nelson said the company members wanted to get initial feedback from the decision makers before submitting an official proposal.
Enel development manager and Cache Valley native Cole Stocker apologized for the confusion as he began his presentation about the solar project.
“It’s a very complicated, kind of concurrent thing that has to happen to develop a project of this nature. It's very expensive. And so we just wanted to make sure as much information is out there as possible beforehand and answer any questions you may have before it comes on your desk,” Stocker said.
According to Stocker, there are three stages to the project — development, construction, and operations.
He said the zero emissions project will generate power on PacifiCorp lines providing affordable energy to communities while the company also makes a profit.
At the end of the project’s useful operational life, estimated at 25 years or longer, he said it will be decommissioned and the land will be restored to its original condition.
Stocker was asked about how the project would affect the area’s greenbelt status and how the company would handle potential lithium battery fires at the facility considering the county’s limited water supply.
Planning commission member Chris Sands said, from a public perspective, the aesthetics of the project will be an issue.
“There are concerns of the industrialization of our natural landscape now that we’re all experiencing this growth, I think that’s why it’s a concern," Sands said.
Enel must file an official proposal with the planning commission before further action can be taken.
Cache County Council Workshop 07-09-2024, full meeting here.
