A proposed 2,700-acre solar facility near Bonanza, Ore., has alarmed neighbors who fear the project will create an eyesore while consuming valuable farmland and wildlife habitat.

The Chicago-based Hecate Energy company intends to apply for permission from Oregon’s Energy Facility Siting Commission to build the project, which would include solar arrays as well as an 8-mile-long transmission line and 11 battery system buildings up to 30 feet tall.

Nearby cattle and hay producers are worried the project will destroy property values and adversely change the character of the agricultural landscape, among other concerns.

“You keep taking pieces out of production, where does it end?” asked Maureen Thomas, a neighboring rancher who opposes the solar project. “Who is going to feed America?”

Neighbors question why the project is proposed on private property zoned for exclusive farm use when there are suitable sites on federal land that’s closer to the electrical substation to which the facility must connect.

“If there are zoning laws, why are we ignoring the zoning laws?” asked Carolyn Northcutt, a neighboring rancher. “Why even have the zoning laws?”

Aside from concerns about reducing the area’s base of farmland, neighbors are worried the project will require groundwater pumping that may affect nearby irrigation and domestic wells.

Irrigation canals that run across the property would also be prone to erosion, run-off and other disruptions, said Liz Hubbard, who produces sheep and cattle in the area.

“It’s all interconnected and it’s not like you can just shut it down,” she said.

The solar project property includes a well that’s deeper than many surrounding wells but is junior in water right priority, said Linda Barrett, a concerned area resident.

Pumping from the solar project’s well can deplete groundwater for other water users and cause surface waters to reverse flow and contaminate nearby wells, she said.

“They are very vulnerable,” Barrett said. “We’re concerned about groundwater impacts because of the hydrological connection.”

Another concern is the capacity of local fire departments to deal with a fire at the battery system facilities, said Thomas. “If one of those batteries were to explode, there is no way they will be able to put them out.”

Fences as tall as 8 feet would impair the area’s value as winter range habitat for deer and antelope while impeding wildfire evacuation routes for adjacent landowners, according to critics.

“The whole community is going to be affected by this,” said Tonya Pinckney, a neighboring landowner. “Everybody I’ve talked to is very much opposed. That’s because of where it’s at — it’s on prime ag land. It’s just not the place for this.”

Capital Press was unable to reach representatives of Hecate Energy or Jacobs Engineering, which is assisting in the permit process, as of press time.

During a recent hearing on the proposal, Paul Turner, Hecate’s senior vice president of business development, said the company wants to complete permitting by the end of 2022 and begin construction by mid-2023, with an eye on becoming operational by late 2024.

A previous natural gas facility was approved for the same location about 15 years ago but the project was abandoned for economic reasons, he said. However, the site remains attractive due to the potential to sell electricity along the West Coast.

“That’s based on our analysis of the location and access to markets,” Turner said.

The battery storage facilities are intended to provide the project with flexibility, so that it can provide power to the grid even when the sun isn’t shining, he said. “That’s where the battery technology has become a big part of these types of projects.”

Turner discounted concerns about impact to water quality and quantity, claiming that “there’s not expected to be any impact on any groundwater” and that “we’re not using water for the project.”

However, the company’s proposal states that about 11.5 million gallons of water will be needed during the construction phase for dust control and mixing concrete.

Some 1.65 million gallons of water will be needed to clean the solar panels once or twice a year, according to the document.

Solar technology is progressing rapidly, which means the project may require a smaller area to produce the same power by the time it’s built, Turner said. “Footprints are getting smaller and less impactful every year.”

Concerns about wildlife habitat, cultural resources and other concerns will be addressed during the EFSC process, said Turner.

The project’s costs must be weighed against its advantages, such as added property tax revenues for local schools and other services, he said. “There will be significant benefits brought to Klamath County from this project.”