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What are the community commitments?

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OPALCO is committed to serving OPALCO members with reliable power while maintaining high environmental standards throughout the life of this project. Per discussions with San Juan County, the proposed project is required to undergo a Conditional Use Permit process. This entails an administrative review of application of San Juan County Code and State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA) review. Additionally, the project will undergo a National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) review. We have outlined the extensive environmental reports OPALCO will provide during this process on the Decatur Solar website (www.opalco.com/decatur). The Decatur community has made several requests in how this project can benefit Decatur Island. Based on that feedback OPALCO is committing to:

  • Site evaluations of alternate areas on Decatur Island: https://www.opalco.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Decatur-Solar-Site-Alternatives.pdf
  • Landscaping around the Decatur Substation and proposed construction areas on the road front
  • Removal of Derelict Vehicles – 16 vehicles total include 3 boats and appliances
  • Water access for fire suppression and miscellaneous site purposes and continued use by the Decatur Fire Brigade of the structures on property.
  • Removal of County Parcel Proposed Solar from Plans
  • Provide environmental, permit and mitigation plans:
    • Site design
    • Critical Area and Wetland Delineation Report
    • NEPA Compliance Documentation
    • SEPA Checklist
    • Clearing and Grading Plan
    • Landscaping Plan
    • Forest Health Report
    • Stormwater Plan
    • Construction plan & timeline
    • Fire Mitigation Plan
  • Cover the 30% Load Growth for Decatur Island