Powder River Energy Corp. plans to build a solar power generation and storage facility near Moorcroft.
Powder River Energy Corp. plans to build a solar power generation and storage facility near Moorcroft.
SUNDANCE — A final hearing for Powder River Energy’s permit to construct a solar power generation and storage facility near Moorcroft will be taking place at the beginning of October.
PRECorp intends to construct the LaBelle Prairie Project for two stated reasons: to protect cooperative members from increasing power costs and to strengthen the reliability of its electric system.
Next door to the substation and line shop near Moorcroft, PRECorp plans to build a five-megawatt, four-hour battery energy storage system and 1.2 megawatt solar generation with around 2100 panels. The project would also modernize the 50-year-old substation.
According to PRECorp, the concept is to store electricity in the large batteries while costs are lower and then supply it back to the system during high-cost peak hours. This will reduce peak purchases, which the cooperative estimates will save around $1 million each year.
It’s a process called “peak shaving,” which addresses the fact that power is more expensive during certain times of day when demand is high.
“While batteries are the key to peak shaving, purchasing enough battery capacity on our own would be very expensive and would place too much cost on the membership,” states an explanatory document from PRECorp.
The cooperative was able to find a federal grant opportunity to offset the cost of the storage, but it includes a requirement that a certain amount of solar generation be included.
“That is why the solar portion is part of the plan, not because solar alone is the primary goal, but because it allows PRECorp to qualify for the grant and make the battery investment affordable for members,” states the document.
The project is to be financed through a $23.5 million USDA PACE loan eligible for 20% loan forgiveness along with available federal tax credits. PRECorp estimates that this will reduce its net investment to around $11.7 million.
The project is a pilot for dispatchable energy storage to help crews and technicians gather hands-on experience with battery technology. It will also provide Moorcroft with four hours of backup power if an outage occurs.
PRECorp anticipates that construction will be complete by the summer of 2027 with an estimated timing of fall, 2027 for commercial operation.
In preparation for the hearing and in compliance with the application, PRECorp has provided written notice to 283 landowners within a 1.1-mile radius of the site.
The cooperative has also notified WYDOT, the Moorcroft Town Council, the Office of State Lands and Investments, the BLM, the U.S. Forest Service and Keyhole State Park.
The proposal complies with all the statutory standards and those within the Crook County Wind and Solar Energy Facility Resolution, as well as county land use regulations. A written emergency management plan has been submitted for review and a waste management plan has been provided to the county.
PRECorp has acknowledged that all roads within the facility are private, and the county has no responsibility for their maintenance. It has also submitted a site reclamation and decommissioning plan.
The hearing is set for Oct. 7 at 2 p.m. in the commissioners’ chambers in Sundance. The board will hear oral comments and consider written comments.
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