Renewables group urges H710 changes to single-plant rule, says collocation reduces costs

Peter Sterling, identified at the hearing as the executive director of a renewable energy organization, told the Senate Finance Committee that clarifying the single-plant rule under H710 would allow developers to colocate projects on already-disturbed sites, reduce new access roads and poles, and lower development costs for both commercial and residential projects.

Sterling presented slide examples and said the current interpretation of the single-plant rule can force developers to build separate driveways and transmission infrastructure which adds cost and delay. "Putting it on an old gravel pit is a good place and we should be taking down the barriers for putting solar where there's already host solar…" he argued, adding that clustering renewable projects can reduce impacts on natural resources.

Sterling also said the proposal would ease permitting uncertainty for small scale residential projects that had previously been caught up in single-plant disputes, and that stakeholder outreach during the PUC process did not produce significant opposition to the recommendations the PUC advanced.

Committee members noted the potential for rate impacts and cleanup costs and said they would continue work on H710 and on getting further briefings from the PUC.