Appaloosa Solar

Appaloosa Solar Project, LLC (“ASP”) Phase 1, is a nominal 200 MWp pv-solar project wholly owned by Pac Soleil LLC, which is a joint venture between Sage Stone Ventures and Beacon Energy, LLC. Phases 2 & 3 total 400 MWdc plus up to 225 MWp of BESS for all three phases.

This project is being developed to leverage existing utility transmission assets and infrastructure and is located on the footprint of the 342.7 MW Lower Snake River wind farm in the Pacific Northwest. ASP has executed and recorded lease option/long-term solar lease agreements with landowners for long-term land control. 

The project will utilize bi-facial panels with single-axis trackers and a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to store any coincident energy generated by the solar project and to provide ancillary services to the interconnecting utility. It will contract for the unutilized portion of the Transmission Service Rights of the wind farm providing direct energy-saving benefits to utility ratepayers. 

Hanwha Q Cells has joined the ASP team as an equity investor, project developer, domestic panel module manufacturer and engineering procurement construction (EPC) contractor to Appaloosa Solar.

An initial project public consultation hearing was held on January 18, 2023 at Pomeroy High School, which was written about by The East Washingtonian.

The project received its Garfield County Conditional Use Permit and its SEPA approval in summer of 2024 and was acquired by Puget Sound Energy as part of its 2021 RFP process, with the acquisition announced in September 2024.

Construction of the 142 MWac Appaloosa Solar Project is scheduled to begin in 2025, with commercial operations expected in December 2026.

Drone photo courtesy of Kevin Melder QCells