Westlands plans new 200MW solar project
-September 1,2020-
Fresno County is processing an application to build a 200MW solar plant and battery storage project in the western part of the county.The land is owned by Westlands Water District and has been dry farmed for 10 years. An environmental report is being prepared according to a Aug 28 notice.
Called the Luna Valley Solar Project the 1300 acre site is near the big 1900 acre Tranquility Solar project and will connect to PGE’s Tranquility Switching Station.The site is bounded by State Route ( 33 to the east, West Dinuba Avenue to the south, South Bernardino Avenue to the west, and West South Avenue to the north. West Manning Avenue bisects the Project site from east to west;. The nearest communities to the Project site include Tranquillity, Mendota, and San Joaquin. Westlands Water District acquired the property as part of a 2002 settlement agreement in the Sumner Peck Ranch et al. v. Bureau of Reclamation et al. lawsuit, which prohibits irrigation on subject parcels.
Impressive solar cluster developing
A cluster of new Fresno County solar projects are either operational or in the works nearby totaling well over 1000 MW.
Not included in this number is a grouping of solar farms being developed by Westland Solar Park that adds up to 2700MW in Kings and Fresno counties and is located on Westlands Water District lands as well. CIM Group in collaboration with Westside Holdings is developing the solar park in phases. The construction of the first phase of the project began in March 2020 and is expected to start power generation in late 2021. Other phases are planned to be operational between 2023 and 2024.
Back in Fresno County the 205MW Tranquility Solar Project is operational. Next door Recurrent Energy‘s 400MW Scarlet Solar Project will also connect to the Tranquility substation and is anticipated to be online as early as late 2021 That site is 4,089 acres.
Also located on Wetlands WD land Little Bear Solar near Mendota is being built on 1300 acres. Construction has started on Little Bear Solar, comprising four separate solar projects totaling 215 MW.
Little Bear will sell energy and RECs to Marin Clean Energy (MCE) under 20-year busbar power purchase agreements (PPAs). The projects are expected to be completed by the end of the fourth quarter of 2020. In addition to creating approximately 500 jobs during the construction of the facility, the project will contribute over $2 million in sales and property taxes.
Fresno County is currently processing another project nearby- close to Huron- the Fifth Standard Solar Facility. RWE Solar Development, LLC (formerly known as EC&R Solar Development, LLC) (Applicant) has applied to the Fresno County Department of Public Works and Planning for three Unclassified Conditional Use Permits for a 150-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (generation facility, an up to 20-MW solar generation facility, and an up to 100-MW energy storage facility.The project is being proposed on 1,600 acres.