Farms eyed for energy, data centers
Klickitat County, Washington, is developing land-use policies to balance agriculture with proposed solar and battery storage projects, which may eventually power a data center. Savion Renewable Energy is proposing a large solar facility, and an associated advocacy group is lobbying for developer-friendly policies. County officials are awaiting legal review for the new ordinance.
Klickitat County, Washington, is actively working on land-use policies to manage the development of solar and large-scale battery storage projects, aiming to balance these energy initiatives with agricultural preservation. Planning Director Scott Edelman stated a preference for agrivoltaics projects on prime agricultural land.
Amidst this policy development, Savion Renewable Energy, a subsidiary of Shell Energy, has proposed the River Turn Energy Center, a significant solar and battery facility on the county's eastern border. An advocacy group, "Make Energy Right Klickitat," backed by Savion and led by AMAUTA Public Affairs, is engaging landowners through social media to support land use policies favorable to developers. There is speculation among local residents that the electricity generated from the River Turn project could be utilized by a data center, though Shell Energy's director of regulatory affairs, Greg Macdonald, declined to confirm this.
Savion's Jeff Watson and Mitchell Taylor were hesitant to provide specific details on the River Turn facility, stating the project's size and scope are not yet finalized. The county's planning department is currently awaiting a legal review of its updated land-use ordinance, with a public hearing possibly slated for September, though an approval date remains unknown.