New Solar Farm Rises In Avenal
NY-based ConEdison continues to build and own utility-size solar farms in the Central Valley including nine in Tulare/Kings counties.The latest under construction is in Avenal city limits, the first there. This is a 20MW,150 acre project valued at $18.5 million.City Community Development Director Fernando Santillan says this will help the city’s tax revenues.It is located along Hwy 33 near the airport.
Of course Avenal is well known as the site of the state’s first large utility-scale solar project at 45 MW built in 2011.The facility, located in county jurisdiction, was built by the Ryan Company, the same contractor building the current project.
Canadian Firm Buys Kings Peaker Plants
This month the California Energy Commission gave approval to Canadian-based AltaGas to buy three gas fired power plants in California including two in Kings County. All were owned by GWF. They include the 97-MW Hanford plant and the 96-MW Henrietta near NAS Lemoore. They are ‘peaker plants’ – able to start up to full power in a matter of minutes to supply electricity to the grid at times of urgent need, like hot summer days. Both plants are contracted to PG&E. AltaGas paid $642 million to acquire the three power plant that also include a larger facility in Tracy.