A Canadian renewable energy company is planning to create a small solar farm about 5 miles south of Redmond and east of U.S. Highway 97.

The Saturn Power Corp., based in New Hamburg, Ontario, submitted a permit application to Deschutes County in November seeking approval for a nearly 10-megawatt facility, which could potentially generate enough power for about 1,500 homes annually.

County planners have asked for more information from the company before the application can be considered complete. The company is expected to submit additions to the application by early January.

The proposal follows the approval of two other similar solar farms east of Bend. Opponents initially appealed the decision but decided to withdraw the appeal. Some adjoining property owners worried the facilities would be incongruent with the surrounding agricultural landscape. The solar panels are expected to be installed next year.

Saturn Corp. owns and operates several renewable energy facilities across Canada, the United States and Turkey, according to Andréa Rabe, an environmental consultant based in Klamath Falls who worked on the application.

“They work hard to be good neighbors and make sure everybody is comfortable having them as a neighbor,” said Rabe.

The proposed facility would be located on about 96 acres consisting of several parcels zoned for farm use. The properties are between the highway and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.

According to the application, the properties were cleared and developed for agricultural production, but “due to very marginal soils” the land was never “productive when irrigated.”

The site is ideal for a solar farm, the application states, because it is flat and lacks tall structures and vegetation that might block sunlight from the solar panels.

The facility would include panels, inverters to convert voltage to alternating current, fencing, an underground cable and other infrastructure. A power substation is about a half-mile south of the proposed site. Rabe said the company will be generating and selling electricity to Pacific Power.

The Redmond Airport is about 6 miles north of the proposed facility. An analysis was done to examine potential hazards for pilots if glare is created by the panels. The analysis concluded small planes flying directly overhead the property might encounter a low level of glare at 500 feet during certain times of the day.

The small amount of glare is not considered a hazard, Rabe said, and is comparable to natural reflective surfaces such as lakes.

A public hearing hasn’t been scheduled yet for the proposed solar facility. County officials expect to have a date when the company submits additional information.

— Reporter: 541-617-7820,

tshorack@bendbulletin.com