-April 29,2023-
NAVFAC Southwest Energy team confirms a solar energy project at NAS Lemoore navy base first announced in 2015 is still moving forward. The idea is to insure the base can operate even if faced with loss of power from the grid. Emergencies like wildfire in California have put portions of the state at risk of going dark with PG&E impacted.
The Navy is working with Arizona-based Bright Canyon Energy on an enhanced use lease agreement to develop an energy resilience project. To insulate the base from external loss of power, a key component of the project will be creation of a microgrid comprised of carbon-free electricity generated by solar photovoltaics and battery storage.The project will generate enough energy during grid contingencies to provide the Air Station with backup power supporting critical infrastructure.Once finalized, the project will enhance grid reliability, protect against base outages, and enhance power quality during normal operations say officials. Details of that size of the solar farm and battery output is not yet released.Nor is a firm timetable to construct the project with the Navy suggesting that development plans are ongoing.
In the past, plans called for the Navy and a private partner to enter into an agreement to allow the partner to use Navy land to construct, operate, and own the proposed solar PV system. The partner would sell the generated power to regional customers as they do with other Central Valley solar farms. The private partner would be responsible for maintenance, operation, and the eventual decommissioning of the solar system.
Tule River runoff 446% of average
Warm up will see 90 degrees on the Valley floor and 70s in the Sierra between now and early May. Concern over runoff is building in the lakebed with the Kaweah expected to be 300% of average, a record 446% of average on the Tule and 426% of average runoff coming down the Kern. Estimates are 50% exceedance as of April 18. Snowpack is largest ever. The LA Times may get some attention from Sacramento reporting “The only thing keeping the rising lake from inundating homes, businesses and the prison in Corcoran is the 14.5-mile-long dirt levee. Local officials want to see the levee reinforced and raised by 3.5 feet.” Locals hope the state will help.
DWR grants will help Coalinga, Huron, Avenal and Allensworth
With California adapting to intense shifts between extreme wet and dry weather, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced three projects that will receive support from DWR’s Water Desalination Grant Program, and an additional six projects that will receive funds through a partnership with the National Alliance for Water Innovation to advance desalination implementation and research.
The awarded projects directly support the State’s investment in desalination technology to help diversify local water supplies.
“California faces a range of water supply challenges, and climate change continues to intensify shifts between weather extremes as we’ve seen this season,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “The State is exploring all opportunities to invest in innovative strategies like desalination to meet our growing water needs — including treating brackish water and ocean water where it’s environmentally appropriate on our 840 miles of coastline.”
Water Desalination Grant Program will award $5 million to three projects in Mendocino, Fresno and Los Angeles counties.The local project that will receive funding:
•Westlands Water District Design Pilot Project: In Fresno County, the project will desalinate brackish groundwater from the westside upper aquifer and use salt-tolerant plants to remove salts from the brine. The project will provide cost-effective, reliable and high-quality water to the district and the communities of Coalinga, Huron and Avenal.
In addition to providing support through the Water Desalination Grant program, DWR is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI) to support six projects that will pilot breakthrough technologies to reduce energy demand and costs for desalination projects.One local project will remove arsenic.
•Piloting an Electrical, Modular, and Distributed ZLD Arsenic-Removal Technology
Arsenic is a pervasive, naturally occurring carcinogenic contaminant in groundwater. Thousands of wells in California and around the world have arsenic levels that exceed safe levels, forcing communities to install expensive and hard-to-operate treatment systems or shutter their local wells and travel miles to fill water jugs for home use. This project will demonstrate a new simple, reliable and highly automated electrochemical process that uses iron and electrical current to safely remove arsenic in well water. The team will partner with the community of Allensworth, California, a rural community whose residents must drive miles to pay for retail water from a kiosk.Partners: University of California, Berkeley and Allensworth Progressive Association.
Hearing on Foster Farms poultry ranch expansion
The Kings County Planning Commission will a hold public hearing on an application for a Conditional Use Permit No. 20-06 (Foster Farms – Kent Ave Ranch) – The applicant proposes to expand an existing poultry farm to grow turkeys and/or chickens and have the ability to adjust operations required to meet market demand located at 19744 Kent Ave, Lemoore. The proposed project would be implemented in two phases. As Phase 1 of the project, Foster Farms would place up to a maximum of 387,692 chickens or 112,00 turkeys on-site per flock for grow-out operations. For turkey brooding, Foster Farms has requested a maximum flock size of up to 280,000 poults at any given time. In Phase 2 of the project Foster Farms would expand the existing outdoor poultry pens from 75,600 square feet to a maximum of 189,000 square feet. In addition, Foster Farms would demolish and reconstruct all structures and utilities on the existing site, excluding the residential structure, which would be remodeled to current standards. The hearing will be held Monday, May 1, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors Chambers, in the Administrative Building No. 1, Kings County Government Center, 1400 W. Lacey Blvd., Hanfo