July11,2016-
( pictured; view from Highway 1 toward the proposed solar farm)
Cal Poly wants to build a five-megawatt solar farm on their land located on the east side of Highway 1 near the Men’s Colony. The solar farm with 1500 solar modules could be built and operating within a year hopes Joel Neel, Director of Facilities Planning for the college.
With the addition of a one megawatt rooftop solar project now underway on the new dormitory, the university will have enough solar power generation in-house to provide the majority of its power needs expects Neel.
The project would be located on 18.5 acres up Gold Tree Road next to the PG&E substation. Neel says the facility would be designed to have a low profile to motorists passing by on Highway 1,not rising above any ridge-line but visible nevertheless (see picture).”We know the facility is located along the a scenic corridor as you enter San Luis but we think it is fairly inconspicuous.”
Neel says the plan is to have a private developer build the project starting perhaps in a matter of months and selling the power back to the college.
”We are working to have most – if not all our power – come from renewables” says Neel. There is still some interest in developing wind power on campus land as well, he adds.
The news comes at a seemingly opportune time as local power provider PG&E plans to close its nuclear power plant in coming years, just announced recently.
Neel says the final approval of the project based on a mitigated negative declaration – rests with the vice chancellor’s office.
pictured: The Mens Colony complex withe new solar farm next door- outlined in yellow