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Golden Hills Wind Project: Draft Proposed Order To Golden Hills Wind Project: Draft Proposed Order To: Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council From: Sarah Esterson, Senior Siting Analyst Date: July 13, 2018 Re: Draft Proposed Order on Request for Amendment 5 Certificate Holder: Golden Hills Wind Farm, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Avangrid Renewables, LLC. Approved Facility (Not Yet Constructed): Approved, but not yet constructed 400 megawatt (MW) wind energy generation facility. Related or supporting facilities include: a power collection system, a substation, a 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line, meteorological towers, supervisory control and data acquisition (“SCADA”) system, operations and maintenance facility, access roads, and temporary laydown areas. Proposed Amendment: Option to construct and operate a different wind turbine type with taller blade tip height from 518 to 650 feet, taller turbine hub height from 311 to 404 feet, and lower minimum aboveground blade tip clearance from 65 to 46 feet; change temporary access road and crane path design (increasing road width from 40 to 100 feet); and taller meteorological towers from 311 to 404 feet. Proposed Location: Previously approved micrositing corridors and site boundary area are located in Sherman County, Oregon. Staff Recommendation: Approval of Request for Amendment 5 of Site Certificate To issue an amended site certificate, the Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC or the Council) must find that a request for amendment to the site certificate demonstrates that the proposed amended facility satisfies, or with conditions can satisfy, each of the applicable EFSC Siting Standards set forth in OAR 345, Divisions 22 through 24 as well as all other Oregon statutes and administrative rules applicable to the proposed amended facility. As staff to EFSC, the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE or the Department) reviewed Request for Amendment 5 to the Golden Hills Wind Project site certificate, in consultation with specifically identified state and local reviewing agencies. Based upon its review of the amendment request, the Department recommends the Council issue a fifth amended site certificate for the facility, subject to the existing and recommended amended site certificate conditions set forth in the following draft proposed order. The analysis and recommendations contained in this draft proposed order are not a final determination. A public comment period is now open on the draft proposed order and complete amendment request (RFA5). In addition, the Council will hold a public hearing on this draft proposed order on August 23, 2018 at 5:30 PM, at Boardman City Hall in Boardman, Oregon. Please note, interested persons must raise issues on the record of the public hearing, either orally at the public hearing or in writing during the comment period, in order to preserve their right to participate further in the process. The public comment period closes at the close of the public hearing on August 23, 2018. Written or oral comments must be received by the Department by the close of the public hearing. Section II.B, Amendment Review Process, of the draft proposed order contains additional information regarding the site certificate amendment review process. The public notice associated with the release of this draft proposed order contains additional information regarding the comment period and public hearing. BEFORE THE ENERGY FACILITY SITING COUNCIL OF THE STATE OF OREGON ) DRAFT PROPOSED ORDER ON In the Matter of Request for Amendment 5 for the ) REQUEST FOR AMENDMENT 5 TO Golden Hills Wind Project Site Certificate ) THE SITE CERTIFICATE ) July 13, 2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1 I.A. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CERTIFICATE HOLDER ............................................................................. 2 I.B. DESCRIPTION OF THE APPROVED FACILITY ................................................................................... 2 I.C. DESCRIPTION OF APPROVED FACILITY SITE LOCATION ..................................................................... 4 I.D. PROCEDURAL HISTORY ........................................................................................................... 5 II. AMENDMENT PROCESS ..................................................................................................... 6 II.A. REQUESTED AMENDMENT ..................................................................................................... 6 II.B. AMENDMENT REVIEW PROCESS .............................................................................................. 9 II.C. COUNCIL REVIEW PROCESS ................................................................................................... 10 II.D. APPLICABLE DIVISION 27 RULE REQUIREMENTS ........................................................................ 11 III. REVIEW OF THE REQUESTED AMENDMENT ..................................................................... 12 III.A. GENERAL STANDARD OF REVIEW: OAR 345-022-0000 ............................................................ 12 III.B. ORGANIZATIONAL EXPERTISE: OAR 345-022-0010 ................................................................. 15 III.C. STRUCTURAL STANDARD: OAR 345-022-0020 ...................................................................... 19 III.D. SOIL PROTECTION: OAR 345-022-0022 ............................................................................... 22 III.E. LAND USE: OAR 345-022-0030 ......................................................................................... 24 III.F. PROTECTED AREAS: OAR 345-022-0040 .............................................................................. 32 III.G. RETIREMENT AND FINANCIAL ASSURANCE: OAR 345-022-0050 ................................................. 42 III.H. FISH AND WILDLIFE HABITAT: OAR 345-022-0060 ................................................................. 45 III.I. THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES: OAR 345-022-0070 ................................................... 50 III.J. SCENIC RESOURCES: OAR 345-022-0080 .............................................................................. 52 III.K. HISTORIC, CULTURAL, AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES: OAR 345-022-0090 ............................ 59 III.L. RECREATION: OAR 345-022-0100 ...................................................................................... 62 III.M. PUBLIC SERVICES: OAR 345-022-0110 ............................................................................... 69 III.N. WASTE MINIMIZATION: OAR 345-022-0120 ........................................................................ 75 III.O. DIVISION 23 STANDARDS ................................................................................................... 77 III.P. DIVISION 24 STANDARDS.................................................................................................... 77 III.Q. OTHER APPLICABLE REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS UNDER COUNCIL JURISDICTION ............................ 80 III.Q.1. Noise Control Regulations: OAR 340-035-0035 .................................................... 81 III.Q.2. Removal-Fill ........................................................................................................... 83 III.Q.3. Water Rights .......................................................................................................... 83 IV. PROPOSED CONCLUSIONS AND ORDER ........................................................................... 85 Golden Hills Wind Project Draft Proposed Order on Request for Amendment 5 July 13, 2018 i LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Sherman County Applicable Substantive Criteria ....................................................................... 26 Table 2: Protected Areas within Analysis Area (Oregon) and Distance from Site Boundary .................. 34 Table 3: Summary of Applicable Land Use Plans and Scenic Resources within the Analysis Area ......... 53 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Facility Location ............................................................................................................................. 5 Figure 2: Facility Turbine Options (Approved and Proposed)..................................................................... 7 ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: Draft Amended Site Certificate Attachment B: Reviewing Agency Comments on preliminary RFA5 Attachment C: [Reserved for Draft Proposed Order Comments] Attachment D: Draft Habitat Mitigation and Revegetation Plan Attachment E: Raptor Nest Survey Protocol Attachment F: Wildlife Monitoring and Adaptive Management Plan Attachment G: Draft Erosion Sediment Control Plan Golden Hills Wind Project Draft Proposed Order on Request for Amendment 5 July 13, 2018 ii Oregon Department of Energy 1 I. INTRODUCTION 2 3 The Oregon Department of Energy (Department or ODOE) issues this draft proposed order, in 4 accordance with Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 469.405(1) and Oregon Administrative Rule 5 (OAR) 345-027-0065, based on its review of Request for Amendment 5 (amendment request or 6 RFA5) to the Golden Hills Wind Project site certificate, as well as comments and 7 recommendations received by specific state agencies and local governments during review of 8 the preliminary amendment request. The certificate holder is Golden Hills Wind Farm, LLC, 9 (Golden Hills or certificate holder) which is wholly owned by Pacific Wind Development, LLC, a 10 subsidiary of Avangrid Renewables, LLC. 11 12 The certificate holder requests that the Energy Facility Siting
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