In 2017, the Elmore County Commissioners approved five different conditional use permits as part of a mega-energy project slated to be built in Elmore County. Cat Creek Energy has always told the residents that all five parts of the project needed to be approved to make it financially feasible. The commissioners approved those five CUPs with that verbal stipulation.

However, that is not the case anymore. Cat Creek Energy and Elmore County have separated the CUP and the project might be able to move ahead in a piecemeal progression. That was not the way it was sold to the residents and taxpayers of Elmore County.

A Conditional Use Permit: Elmore County has specific uses which are allowed only after review by the Planning & Zoning Commission. These uses require a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). The allowable uses for each zone are listed in the County Zoning Ordinance.
Note … The Elmore County Planning and Zoning Commission denied all 5 Cat Creek Energy CUPs in 2015. The County Commissioners overruled P & Z in 2017.

Here is a brief explanation of these very complex and seemingly ever-changing permits.

Meeting/Hearing Date: 6/15/2016 — Date Report Compiled: 6/8/2016

CUP-2015-03: Conditional Use Permit for transmission lines in the Agriculture and Area of Critical Concern Overlay Zones. Case Number: CUP-2015-03. The site is located in portions of Sections 26 and 35, Township 1N, Range 9E, B.M., Sections 2, 3, 10, and 11, Township 1S, Range 9E, B.M.

CUP-2015-04: Conditional Use Permit for pump storage hydro electrical generating facility in the Agriculture and Area of Critical Concern Overlay Zones. Case Number: CUP-2015-04. The site is located in portions of Sections 26, 27, 35, and 36, Township 1N, Range 9E, B.M and portions of sections of 1 and 2, Township 1S, Range 9E, B.M.

CUP-2015-05: Conditional Use Permit for a PV solar electrical generating facility in the Agriculture Zone. Case Number: CUP-2015-05. The site is located in portions of Sections 2, 3, 10, and 11, Township 1S, Range 10E, B.M.

CUP-2015-06: Conditional Use Permit for a wind turbine electrical generating facility in the Agriculture and Area of Critical Concern Overlay Zones. Case Number: CUP-2015-06. The site is located in portions of Sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33, Township 1S, Range 10E, B.M., Sections 19, 20, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33, Township 1N, Range 10E, B.M., Sections 25, 26, 27, 35, and 36, Township 1N, Range 9E, B.M., Sections 1 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 22, 23, and 24, Township 1S, Range 9E, B.M.

CUP-2015-07: Conditional Use Permit for a substation in the Agriculture Zone. Case Number: CUP-2015-07. The site is located in portions of Sections 2 and 11, Township 1S, Range 9E, B.M.

Applicant:
Cat Creek Energy, LLC
1989 South 1875 East
Gooding, ID 83330

Case Number(s):

• CUP-2015-03 (Transmission Lines)
• CUP-2015-04 (Pump Storage Hydro- Electrical Generating Facility)
• CUP-2015-05 (Solar- Electrical Generating Facility)
• CUP-2015-06 (Wind- Electrical Generating Facility)
• CUP-2015-07 (Substation)

Location: A common way of locating the property for all the CUP’s is from Mountain Home travel US 20 north for 25.4 miles to Wood Creek Road. Center of projects is approximately 3.2 miles north on Wood Creek Road.

Reference: The 5 Condition Use Permits of the Cat Creek Energy Project – http://catcreek-energy.com/download/670/