PSE IN MONTANA:
BATTLE BUTTE SOLAR PROJECT

What is the project timing?

 

The project received a conditional use permit from Stillwater County in September of 2024. Construction is planned to start in the summer of 2026 with an anticipated completion date in mid-2028. A typical solar plant like Battle Butte has an operational life span of around 30 years. When operations end PSE will dismantle and remove all equipment associated with the facility and restore the land to current conditions consistent with regulations established by the State of Montana. To ensure that decommissioning will take place PSE will also obtain a bond for the value of the work.

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How will the Battle Butte Solar Project benefit the local community?

 

Constructing the Battle Butte Solar Project will require approximately 250 skilled workers with an ongoing need for a small number of permanent on-site workers for operation. Workers may come from Stillwater County or other nearby areas. PSE anticipates that spending associated with the project will benefit a variety of local businesses.

 

The Battle Butte Solar Project will contribute 1.5% of the cost of the project in impact fees to Stillwater County over the first three years of the project, totaling approximately $4.8 million. Property taxes levied on the facility will provide ongoing revenues for local schools, county roads, and other public services. PSE has applied for a new or expanding industry state tax program for the project. If approved PSE would pay 25% of the required property taxes for the increased value for the first five years. This would then increase in equal amounts for five years until reaching 100% at year ten. While this would result in a reduction in taxes paid during the first ten years of operation, significantly more taxes will be paid on the land than under its current use.

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Will area roads be impacted?

 

PSE has developed a transportation plan to mitigate impacts on the county roads during the construction phase of the project and will enter into a road use agreement with Stillwater County. As the project design is finalized and routes are determined for construction, PSE will conduct surveys and complete appropriate road repairs. PSE will also coordinate directly with school transportation staff to go over bus routes and schedules and make sure our work doesn’t cause any delays or create safety hazards.

Construction of the Battle Butte solar project will have far less traffic impacts compared with recent wind projects in the county. Neighbors can anticipate minimal oversize and overweight truck traffic as a result of the project because of the equipment needed for a solar project. At this time, only one oversized delivery is anticipated – the delivery of a transformer. 

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Do the solar modules create glare?

 

Solar modules are built to absorb sunlight, not bounce back, but their glass can still create some minimal glare. To minimize that, the panels will have an anti-reflective coating and are designed to reflect only about two percent of incoming sunlight - roughly the same as water and less than what you’d see from soil or even wood shingles. Even so, PSE plans to do a study to make sure any potential glare won’t be a problem for drivers at certain times of day or year. PSE will incorporate the findings of the study into final designs.

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What about fire or other risks?

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PSE is developing an Emergency Response Plan in coordination with the County and local fire agencies to identify fire and safety risks associated with the project and to develop specific response strategies. 

 

The solar panels are designed to withstand hail of nearly 2 inches in diameter as well as strong winds and other weather conditions. This will allow the project to withstand impacts from all but very large hail which, according to NOAA weather data, has very low chance of occurring in the area. Any panels damaged during normal operations will be replaced and the damaged panels properly disposed of or recycled. 

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Why is PSE building a new solar facility in Montana?

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The Battle Butte Solar Project is strategically positioned to utilize existing transmission infrastructure through proximity to the Beaver Creek Wind Project and on the Colstrip Transmission Line. PSE has transmission capacity to deliver energy to our service territory through capacity formerly used to deliver energy to Washington state from the Colstrip plant. PSE is proud to continue to partner in Montana’s robust all of the above energy economy. 

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What other projects does PSE own and operate in Montana?

 

PSE has been a partner in Montana’s energy economy dating back to the 1970s and construction of the Colstrip Power Plant. That continues today: just last year, PSE completed its Beaver Creek Wind Project in Stillwater County. 

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PSE also has an agreement with Energy Keepers, Inc., the tribally owned corporation of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes for hydroelectric power, and an agreement with NextEra, Montana’s largest windfarm Clearwater Wind, based in Rosebud, Custer and Garfield Counties. PSE looks forward to continuing to partner with Montana as part of its all of the above energy economy.