April 27, 2020 Ms. Tanowa Troupe
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52 East Gay Street P.O. Box 1008 Columbus, Ohio 43216-1008 614.464.6400 | www.vorys.com Founded 1909 Michael J. Settineri Direct Dial (614) 464-5462 Direct Fax (614) 719-5146 Email [email protected] April 27, 2020 Ms. Tanowa Troupe, Secretary Docketing Division Ohio Power Siting Board 180 E. Broad Street, 11th Floor Columbus, OH 43215 Re: 19-1823-EL-BGN Big Plain Solar, LLC Dear Ms. Troupe: Accompanying this letter are hard copies of an application by Big Plain Solar, LLC for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need for the Madison Solar Farm, a 196 megawatt solar-powered electric generation facility to be located in Madison County, Ohio. The original application was electronically filed. In accordance with Rule 4906-2-04 of the Ohio Administrative Code, I would like to make the following declarations: Name of the applicant: Big Plain Solar, LLC c/o First Solar, Inc. 11757 Katy Freeway, Suite 400 Houston, TX 77079 Name and location of the proposed facility: Madison Solar Farm Fairfield and Oak Run Townships Madison County, Ohio Columbus | Washington | Cleveland | Cincinnati | Akron | Houston | Pittsburgh Ms. Tanowa Troupe Page 2 Name of the authorized representatives: Michael J. Settineri MacDonald W. Taylor Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP 52 East Gay Street Columbus, Ohio 43215 614-464-5462 [email protected] [email protected] Notarized Statement: See attached Affidavit of Kathryn Arbeit Officer of Big Plain Solar, LLC The facility construction and operation schedule presented in the second pre-application notification letter filed February 14, 2020 has been revised. Specifically, as described in the attached application, construction of the facility is now expected to commence in the second quarter of 2022, and the facility is anticipated to be in service in the second quarter of 2023. Very truly yours, /s/ Michael J. Settineri Michael J. Settineri Attorney for Big Plain Solar, LLC Enclosure 4/24/2020 35265287 V.2 APPLICATION TO THE OHIO POWER SITING BOARD FOR A CERTIFICATE OF ENVIRONMENTAL COMPATIBILITY AND PUBLIC NEED FOR THE Madison Solar Farm Fairfield and Oak Run townships, Madison County Case No. 19-1823-EL-BGN April 2020 Prepared by: Big Plain Solar, LLC 11757 Katy Freeway, Suite 400 Houston, Texas 77079 Contact: Karl Pierce, Director of Project Development Tel: 281.509.6264 With Assistance From: Environmental Design & Research, Landscape Architecture, Engineering & Environmental Services, D.P.C. 217 Montgomery Street, Suite 1000 Syracuse, New York 13202 Contact: Ben Brazell Tel: 315.471.0688 TABLE OF CONTENTS 4906-4-01 PURPOSE AND SCOPE........................................................................................................................... 1 (A) REQUIREMENTS FOR FILING CERTIFICATE APPLICATIONS ................................................................. 1 (B) WAIVERS ...................................................................................................................................................... 1 4906-4-02 PROJECT SUMMARY AND APPLICANT INFORMATION ....................................................................... 2 (A) PROJECT SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................. 2 (1) General Purpose of the Facility ................................................................................................................. 2 (2) Description of the Facility .......................................................................................................................... 2 (3) Description of the Suitability of the Site for the Proposed Facility ............................................................. 3 (4) Project Schedule ....................................................................................................................................... 3 (B) APPLICANT INFORMATION ........................................................................................................................ 3 (1) Plans for Future Generation Capacity at the Site ...................................................................................... 3 (2) Description of Applicant and Operator ...................................................................................................... 3 4906-4-03 PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND SCHEDULE ........................................................................................... 5 (A) PROJECT AREA DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................................. 5 (1) Geography and Topography Map ............................................................................................................. 5 (2) Area of All Owned and Leased Properties ................................................................................................ 5 (B) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED FACILITY ............................................................................... 6 (1) Description Details for the Project ............................................................................................................. 6 (2) Description of Major Equipment ................................................................................................................ 7 (3) Need for New Transmission Lines .......................................................................................................... 11 (4) Project Area Map .................................................................................................................................... 11 (C) DETAILED PROJECT SCHEDULE ............................................................................................................. 12 (1) Schedule ................................................................................................................................................. 12 (2) Construction Sequence ........................................................................................................................... 13 (3) Impact of Critical Delays ......................................................................................................................... 14 4906-4-04 PROJECT AREA SELECTION AND SITE DESIGN ............................................................................... 16 (A) PROJECT AREA SELECTION .................................................................................................................... 16 (1) Description and Rationale for Selecting Study Area................................................................................ 16 (2) Map of Study Area .................................................................................................................................. 17 (3) List and Description of all Qualitative and Quantitative Siting Criteria ..................................................... 17 (4) Description of Process by Which Siting Criteria Were Used ................................................................... 18 (5) Description of Project Area Selected for Evaluation ................................................................................ 19 (B) FACILITY LAYOUT DESIGN PROCESS .................................................................................................... 19 Big Plain Solar, LLC 19-1823-EL-BGN Table of Contents – Page ii (1) Constraint Map ........................................................................................................................................ 19 (2) Criteria Used to Determine Site Layout and Comparison of Alternative Site Layouts ............................. 20 (3) Description of Number and Type of Comments Received ...................................................................... 22 4906-4-05 ELECTRIC GRID INTERCONNECTION ................................................................................................. 23 (A) CONNECTION TO THE REGIONAL ELECTRIC GRID .............................................................................. 23 (B) INTERCONNECTION INFORMATION ....................................................................................................... 23 (1) Generation Interconnection Request Information .................................................................................... 23 (2) System Studies ....................................................................................................................................... 24 4906-4-06 ECONOMIC IMPACT AND PUBLIC INTERACTION .............................................................................. 25 (A) OWNERSHIP .............................................................................................................................................. 25 (B) CAPITAL AND INTANGIBLE COSTS ......................................................................................................... 25 (1) Estimated Capital and Intangible Costs by Alternative ............................................................................ 25 (2) Cost Comparison with Similar Facilities .................................................................................................. 26 (3) Present Worth and Annualized Capital Costs ......................................................................................... 26 (C) OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE EXPENSES ....................................................................................... 27 (1) Estimated Annual Operation and Maintenance