Decatur Island Solar Project 2025

OPALCO has begun exploring adding an additional ~2.1MW solar array on 8 acres on Decatur Island.

Background Information

If the co-op membership wishes for OPALCO to maintain power reliability, we need to site and build local renewable generation and energy storage to offset our projected increase in electricity usage (about 30% over the next 10 or so years).

Our community needs to come together to find acceptable locations for these projects. Blackouts or very expensive carbon-based fuels that will continue to accelerate climate change are likely in our energy future if we don’t site these projects locally.

The energy world is changing dramatically due to climate impacts, carbon reduction legislation, and the transition toward renewable power. The goal of our state and nation is to transition away from fossil fuels and heat our homes and fuel our cars, trucks and ferries using electricity. This lofty goal is proving to be highly challenging.

The hydropower systems that have historically supplied most of the Pacific Northwest’s electricity are at capacity, coal plants in the region are being shut down and natural gas generation comes with a carbon-based financial penalty. Our dilemma is figuring out how to satisfy increased demand for electricity while our supply of carbon-free firm power is shrinking. As more coal plants shut down and are replaced with intermittent resources (solar and wind), energy blackouts are increasingly predicted.  Given our remote location, our best bet for clean and affordable firm power is to build renewable generation projects locally.

OPALCO has begun looking at expanding its Community Solar on Decatur Island. Part of the project will be in partnership with San Juan County to utilize a portion of its public works yard that is adjacent to the OPALCO substation/microgrid parcel. In March 2025, OPALCO acquired 19-acres adjacent to its current property on Decatur Island. The other part of this project will be expanding the solar site with additional Community Solar shares that members can purchase and benefit from the solar energy. This phase of the project is still in very early planning, and we don’t have many details to share as we are still assessing the site. OPALCO will be able to utilize Department of Commerce grants funds to install ~1.2MW of solar that will directly benefit low-income community members throughout San Juan County.

OPALCO is not planning to overburden Decatur with solar generation needed for the rest of San Juan County. If we added up all the solar generation currently proposed for Decatur (existing, plus planned), the total kWh generation could offset Decatur’s projected increase in electric usage (30%).

Please continue asking questions and sharing feedback and the team will continue to work through these details and adjust plans based on your input. Remember, OPALCO is a non-profit cooperative, and we rely on you – our members – to ensure we can fulfill our mission to provide reliable power to everyone in San Juan County. We abide by the 7 cooperative principles and remain committed to serving all of our membership.

In March 2025, OPALCO acquired property next to OPALCO’s substation to install an expansion of utility-scale solar to serve San Juan County. OPALCO is looking to utilize San Juan County property and adjacent lot for this project. OPALCO is the recipient of $1M of grant funds for a solar array to support low-income energy assistant programs.

  • 2.1M MW solar array
  • 8 acres
  • 3.3 GWh annual solar production
  • ~1.4% of OPALCO’s annual load
  • ~5,000 panels (580 watt panels)
  • $1M of the project is funded through Department of Commerce to support low-income energy assistance programs

FAQs

Given its close proximity to the existing solar site and substation.  The expanded solar will meet the needs of Decatur Island’s future power supply and offers additional reliabiliy to the Decatur community. OPALCO plans to site microgrids throughout San Juan County.

Decatur gains enhanced energy reliability, priority access to solar shares, and a local source of renewable energy. OPALCO is committed to transparency, environmental stewardship, and ensuring the project brings long-term value to the community.

OPALCO is the critical infrastructure in this County with the electrical grid and fiber connectivity. Everything we do is to protect this infrastructure and ensure the safety of the community.

The amount of solar being proposed for Decatur is NOT more than the expected increase (20-30% in next 10 or so years) in electricity needed for Decatur Island.
OPALCO remains committed to the cooperative principles which emphasizes fairness as a key tenet so we are not asking Decatur to shoulder more of this burden – the potential solar OPALCO could install in both phases of the project would still be less than the expected load growth of Decatur. It will also offer greater power reliability to this community.
OPALCO is looking to put multiple microgrids on all the major islands.
OPALCO is also working with San Juan County to ensure more permitting predictability for future solar / battery projects on the other is. OPALCO foresees all the islands needing increases in electricity (30%).
OPALCO is not planning to overburden Decatur with solar generation needed for the rest of San Juan County.

Per community feedback and county requirements OPALCO will be landscaping along the site of the future solar installations that are along the county road. There will also be fencing. OPALCO does not have plans to install a park. With the new property, OPALCO will be able to stage its equipment out of view from the road. We will be continuing to improve the longstanding substation site.

From a technical perspective Yes. Electrons flow to the closest use point; however, if there is excess power it would then flow to other areas.

OPALCO will work with San Juan County to encourage road dust mitigation during construction times. OPALCO will have plans and timelines so residents will be aware of construction impacts. The team will work to keep the timeline condensed and leverage efforts to keep construction impacts to a minimum. Project timeline is still being determined but we will provide details as we get them.

OPALCO will have the fire suppression and prevention measures in place for the solar site. OPALCO is also researching whether the well on the property could be utilized for fire protection.

There will need to be tree removal for this project. OPALCO will make any lumber or chips available to the Decatur Community. We will also have visual landscaping barriers to make the view from the road aesthetically pleasing.

No. OPALCO will be following all SJC permitting processes.

OPALCO has used Decatur residents in the past to help with maintenance of our property. The plans for the site will be low growing grass that does not need a ton of regular maintenance. We will likely contract out for that work. If there are Decatur residents interested in this kind of work, they can reach out to OPALCO to find out what opportunities we have.
There is not a ton of maintenance required for solar projects outside of our normal property maintenance plans. This will be added to our regular scheduled maintenance for all the parcels that OPALCO owns.

OPALCO performs regular inspections and maintenance of equipment, monitors the batteries and solar site with an automated system, maintains clear firebreak zones, protective devices that can isolate faults, and vegetation management to ensure the safety of all its sites and utilizes specific fire response system for battery storage sites. The battery container is sealed and will remain sealed in the event of a fire to aid in the suppression of the fire and keeps the fumes encased. There are no plans for additional battery storage projects on Decatur at this time. The battery chemistry used for the existing energy storage battery on Decatur is designed for low probability of fire called iron phosphate.

OPALCO does not vary rates based on if you have a microgrid close to your home. As a cooperative, we follow “cost-of-service” model when setting rates and there is no clear correlation between having a microgrid close to your house and your electricity usage. OPALCO is looking out for all the co-op membership regardless of location of our electrical infrastructure and must set rates to benefit the whole of the cooperative.

Yes. Decatur residents will have be able to purchase shares in this project.

During our May 10th, town hall meeting there were some suggestions of alternate sites for OPALCO to explore for this project. In the above section “Site Plans”, OPALCO will provide our feasibility of the other suggested locations. This will take some time to compile the needed data.

There are no plans for additional battery storage for this project. Battery storage is still very expensive and OPALCO relies on grant funding for these projects. If there is an opportunity for a battery storage grant OPALCO would likely apply for those funds.

This is a great idea, and we are researching if there is a way to make this automated.

There have been several times since 2018 that the battery has enabled Decatur Island to keep power up and running. If the outage is on the Decatur grid, then this disconnects your service from the battery and/or BPA/OPALCO substation, so the battery is unable to provide backup power for those kinds of outages. When the outage is between the mainland and Decatur then the battery can provide backup that will extend the power supply to Decatur meters. In January 2021 and December 2022 during outages, the battery extended the power supply for Decatur Island. We will have our system engineer at the meeting to discuss the details of how our battery storage system works.