Senator, Lower Valley Energy ask Lincoln County to back solar expansion near Thayne landfill property

Sen. Dan Dockstader and Jim Webb, CEO of Lower Valley Energy, asked the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners Aug. 15 to support a proposed solar expansion on county-owned vacant property north of the Thayne Landfill site.

Dockstader described the site as an ‘‘ideal space’’ for the Lower Valley Energy solar project and discussed related workforce and transportation ideas, including bussing options for employees into south Lincoln County. Jim Webb said Lower Valley Energy would seek to be "a good neighbor" regarding access and project siting. County Grant Writer Mary Crosby clarified for the board that the parcel at issue is not on landfill property but instead was purchased by the county previously as a borrow source and is now vacant county-owned land; she said public purposes and community uses supported the county owning the site.

The board approved a letter of support to IDAWY for placement of solar panels on the property as part of the consent agenda. Dockstader also discussed extending Rocky Mountain Power’s integrated resource planning (IRP) date and other transition issues affecting coal miners; these items were presented as part of his update rather than a formal county action.

The minutes do not record a detailed site plan, timeline or funding commitment from the county beyond the letter of support approved by the board.