State of Oregon: Facilities - Obsidian Solar Center

The Obsidian Solar Center is an approved solar photovoltaic (PV) energy generation facility with a nominal generating capacity of 400 megawatts, located within a site boundary of approximately 3,921 acres (6.1 sq. miles). The approved facility includes either a solar PV without battery storage (PV only), or a solar PV with 50 MW of battery storage [dispersed or centralized] (PV plus storage). Approved related or supporting facilities include a 34.5 kV electrical collection system, up to four 1-acre collector substations, one 3-acre 115/500 kV step-up substation, 2 miles of 115 kV transmission line, up to 2 O&M building(s); and, a SCADA System, approximately 50 miles of internal/perimeter roads, and 7-foot-tall perimeter fencing. The certificate holder is Obsidian Renewables, LLC (a subsidiary of Obsidian Renewables, LLC and Lindgren Development, Inc.).

Approved/Under Review. The deadline for the certificate holder to commence construction is February 25, 2025. The certificate holder must complete construction of the facility within three years of the construction commencement date.

On April 12, 2023 the certificate holder submitted a preliminary Request for Amendment 1 (pRFA1) of the site certificate requesting to expand the facility site boundary 169 acres in order to accommodate an alternative location for the facility Generation Step Up (GSU) substation and Point of Interconnection (POI); an increase to the length and voltage of the gen-tie transmission line from approximately 2 miles to up to 3.2 miles and from 115-kV to 138-kV; and a change to the electric collection system within the photovoltaic (PV) array to increase the voltage from 34.5-kV to 138-kV and bring overhead approximately 2.3 miles of the approved collection line.

Based on the certificate holder's responses the Department's request for additional information (RAI), the Department determined the RFA1 complete and the complete RFA1 was submitted on August 1, 2023. On August 1, 2023, The Department issued the Draft Proposed Order (DPO) recommending Council approval of the amendment request. On the same day, the Department issued the Public Notice of a public hearing on the DPO and RFA1, initiating a public comment period on both the RFA1 and DPO. The RFA1, DPO, and Public Notice are available on the Timeline below.

The Public Hearing on the Draft Proposed Order was held virtually and in person in Christmas Valley Oregon on August 24, 2023. Council reviewed the DPO at the September 22, 2023 EFSC meeting. Based on the comments received, the Department has issued the Proposed Order on September 26, 2023 and also issued the Public Notice on the Proposed Order and Opportunity to Request a Contested Case on the same day. The Proposed Order and Public Notice are available in the timeline below. Information on how to request a Contested Case is in the Public Notice. The deadline to request a Contested Case is October 27, 2023 at 5:00 PM PDT.

Lake County, approximately eight miles northwest of Christmas Valley. PDF Maps | Online Map

Applicant/Certificate holder: Obsidian Solar Center LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Obsidian Renewables LLC.

ODOE contact: Kathleen Sloan

Applicant/Certificate holder contact: Michelle Slater

Project Amendment(s)

Display Name	Description	Display Date
Preliminary Request for Amendment 1		04/12/2023
Complete Request for Amendment 1		08/01/2023
Public Notice on RFA1, DPO, Public Hearing, and Comment Period		08/01/2023
Draft Proposed Order on Request for Amendment 1		08/01/2023
Public Notice on Proposed Order and Opportunity to Request a Contested Case		09/26/2023
Proposed Order on Request for Amendment 1		09/26/2023
Deadline to Request a Contested Case		10/27/2023

Project Timeline

Milestone	Additional Documents	Display Date
Notice of Intent		01/16/2018
Project Order		05/24/2018
Complete Application for Site Certificate	Table of Contents Exhibit A Exhibit B Exhibit C Exhibit D Exhibit E Exhibit F Exhibit G Exhibit H Exhibit I Exhibit J Exhibit K Exhibit L Exhibit M Exhibit N Exhibit O Exhibit P Exhibit Q Exhibit R Exhibit S - available on request Exhibit T Exhibit U Exhibit V Exhibit W Exhibit X Exhibit Y Exhibit Z Exhibit AA Exhibit BB Exhibit CC Exhibit DD	10/30/2019
Additions to Complete Application		03/12/2020
Final Order on Application for Site Certificate		02/25/2022
Site Certificate		03/25/2022