Solar project in Grant County will put panels out to pasture
A Grant County ranch and a solar power company have partnered for a new project that could allow large-scale solar energy production and cattle ranching on the same land for the first time in Oregon — or anywhere in the country. The dual-use solar project is planned for about 8 acres on the sprawling Southworth Brothers Ranch about 20 miles south of John Day. The project, which aims to generate 1.5 megawatts of electricity when fully completed in fall 2024, will be placed next to an Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative substation adjacent to the ranch, with OTEC expected to buy power from Bear Valley Solar Pasture for the grid. (Neil Nisperos/Blue Mountain Eagle)
Related: Oregon researchers propose innovative path forward for farming’s water woes
Dairy digester fined as Legislature considers industrial ag moratorium
Oregon environmental regulators have fined a manure digester associated with the state’s largest dairy $17,400 for failing to perform required annual emissions tests. Digesters break down manure and other organic material to produce methane for energy. It’s the second fine in 14 months for the company, WOF PNW Threemile Project, in Boardman. The state announced the fine on the same day the Oregon Legislature planned an informational hearing on better regulating pollution from large dairies and other industrial farms. Lawmakers are considering bills that would impose a moratorium on new or expanded industrial agriculture facilities, and would restrict the amount of water they can use through an agricultural exemption in Oregon water law. (Tracy Loew/Salem Statesman Journal)
Tribe begins another round of demolition at former paper mill site
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde is starting the third, but not final, round of demolition at the former Blue Heron Paper Mill site it purchased in August 2019. The third round will demolish structures on the northwestern section of the 23-acre property close to downtown Oregon City. Among the buildings scheduled to be demolished are two that housed paper machines, Mill D and one known as the Butler Building. The work is expected to take four to five months to complete. The Tribe anticipates that additional demolition will be necessary to achieve its vision, which includes healing, connection and public access to Willamette Falls. (Dean Rhodes/Smoke Signals)
Related: The hidden world of Oregon's overlooked falls
Rogue Valley looking to entice semiconductor industry
As the governor’s office and the state Legislature consider ways to bring more chipmaking jobs to Oregon, Jackson County Commissioner Dave Dotterrer divulged plans in their earliest stages that could entice the semiconductor industry to the Rogue Valley. On Monday, during a meeting of the county’s Economic Development Advisory Committee, Dotterrer shared recent discussions with Phoenix and Medford city officials and a local legislator about setting aside hundreds of acres of rural land outside Phoenix’s city limits to attract a manufacturer in the semiconductor industry. “We may have one of the greatest opportunities on the I-5 corridor,” Dotterrer said. (Nick Morgan/The Grants Pass Daily Courier)
San Diego offers a potential housing solution for Vancouver
In 1986, Bob McElroy started the Alpha Project to provide assistance, resources, employment, and shelter for San Diego’s unhoused population. Alongside transitional housing like the Temporary Bridge Shelter, the nonprofit has helped more than 4,000 people. About 65 communities across the United States have visited San Diego to learn about the Alpha Project’s programs and try to incorporate bits and pieces into their cities. Vancouver officials toured the Alpha Project last year to see how it might employ similar methods in Southwest Washington. (Mia Ryder-Marks/The Columbian)
