Energy Facility Siting Council to Meet January 23-24 in Hood River

SALEM — Oregon’s Energy Facility Siting Council will meet on January 23-24 in Hood River. The public meeting begins at 5 p.m. on Thursday and will reconvene Friday at 8 a.m. at the Best Western Plus Hood River Inn, 1108 E. Marina Drive.

The main items on the Council’s agenda:

  • Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line: This agenda item began at the December meeting in Pendleton. The Council will receive a presentation on Thursday from Oregon Department of Energy staff reviewing the Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line Draft Proposed Order, comments received on the DPO, and responses from the project’s applicant (Idaho Power) to those comments. This agenda item continues Friday and the Council may provide staff comments they would like to see reflected in the Proposed Order. The proposed 500-kilovolt transmission line would span five counties and about 280 miles in Oregon.

  • Shepherds Flat South, Request for Amendment 2 and Shepherds Flat Central, Request for Amendment 3: The Council will review the proposed orders on the amendment requests for these two site certificates. Both amendment requests seek Council approval to install longer turbine blades on the existing towers, as well as other upgrades and modifications. The amendment requests are being reviewed under the Type B process.

  • Amendment Rulemaking Public Hearing: The Council will continue to review public comments received on the proposed rules and consider adoption of permanent rules that govern the site certificate amendment review process.

The full meeting agenda and materials are available on the ODOE website: www.oregon.gov/energy/facilities-safety/facilities/Pages/Council-Meetings.aspx.

The next Council meeting is tentatively scheduled for March 12-13, 2020.

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.