Image for illustrative purposes

Amazon has acquired the site of what could become Oregon’s largest solar and battery storage project, following an $83 million bankruptcy auction bid earlier this year.

The project, known as Sunstone Solar, is planned for Morrow County, Oregon, and could include 1,200 megawatts of solar generation capacity along with up to 7,200 megawatts of battery storage. If completed, it would be the largest project of its kind proposed in the state.

The development was originally proposed by Pine Gate Renewables, a North Carolina-based solar developer, which began the siting and permitting process in 2022. The Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council approved a site certificate for the project in November 2024.

However, Pine Gate Renewables filed for bankruptcy in 2025 after experiencing project delays and rising costs. The Sunstone Solar project was subsequently placed into a bankruptcy auction, where Amazon outbid competitors including Puget Sound Energy with an $83 million offer.

Before construction can begin, the project’s site certificate must be formally transferred to the new owner and approved by the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council, a process that could take between three and six months.

The project faces additional time constraints. Construction must begin by November 18, 2027, or the current site certificate will expire.

While Amazon has not publicly detailed its plans for the project, the company operates multiple large data centers in Morrow County and is among the world’s largest corporate buyers of renewable energy.

On a sunny day, the planned solar array could generate enough electricity to power roughly 300,000 average households.

Source: opb.org