Solar farming has come to Silverton.
Silverton Solar, LLC, a Santa Monica, Calif., company has a 12-acre photovoltaic power generation facility under construction at the north end of Airport Road. The company plans to sell the power to Portland General Electric and expects to complete construction by the end of the year, company representative Amy Berg Pickett told Our Town.
Berg Pickett said that the electricity generated by the solar farm will be enough to power 300 average homes.
The parcel, which contains a total of 23.8 acres, is adjacent to the John’s Waterproofing facility and is under Marion County jurisdiction. It occupies the south end of the property.
Silverton Solar received a conditional use permit from the Marion County Planning Division in January 2016. The permit was required because the land is in an exclusive farm use zone. The permit expires Feb. 2, 2018, but extensions can be granted as long as the company complies with the terms of the permit. Key conditions that must be met involve weed eradication and vegetation management as well as paving improvements to the Pine Street/Airport Road intersection.
Berg Picket said that Silverton Solar “maintains and operates all solar farms by hiring local professionals to conduct weed mitigation and vegetation care.”
— James Day
