Panoche Valley Solar Farm

Panoche Valley Solar Farm
Country United States
Location Panoche Valley, San Benito County
Coordinates 36°37′N 120°52′W / 36.62°N 120.87°W / 36.62; -120.87Coordinates: 36°37′N 120°52′W / 36.62°N 120.87°W / 36.62; -120.87
Status Under construction
Construction began April 2016
Construction cost approximately $1 billion
Owner(s) Panoche Valley Solar, LLC.
Solar field
Type Flat-panel PV
Site area 1,300 acres (530 ha)
Power generation
Nameplate capacity 130 MW

Panoche Valley Solar Farm is a 130 megawatt (MW), utility-scale solar photovoltaic power station under construction in the Panoche Valley of Central California's San Benito County.[1] Panoche Valley is crossed by a 230-kilovolt (kV) power line from the Moss Landing Power Plant.[1]

Originally proposed by Solargen Energy (later known as Nevo Energy),[2][3] the project was purchased by PV2 Energy in April 2011, with Nevo Energy retaining a small equity interest, but no voting, governance or management input. In April 2012, PV2 Energy entered into a joint venture with Duke Energy, the largest utility in the United States. The project was eventually acquired by Con Edison in 2016.[4]

The project site consists of 4,717 acres (1,909 ha) of private land in the northern portion of the valley. It is used for pasture-based livestock grazing on native grassland habitat.[5] In October 2010, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors approved the company’s environmental impact report.[6][7] Originally proposed at 399 MW, the cost was estimated at approximately $1 billion.[8] The project faced lawsuits from three environmental groups who charged that project would harm native species such as the giant kangaroo rat, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, San Joaquin kit fox, and various bird species.[4] The project was downsized to 247 MW and eventually 130 MW in 2017 after a settlement was reached.[4] It is scheduled to begin producing power by 2018.[4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Panoche Valley Solar Farm". San Benito County. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
  2. ↑ nevo energy inc (NEVE:OTC US)
  3. ↑ "Panoche Valley, California". Retrieved 2010-06-16.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Rogers, Paul (July 21, 2017). "Giant California solar project cut back after environmentalists oppose it". San Jose Mercury News.
  5. ↑ Richman, Marty (May 25, 2010). "Marty: Solargen must clear economic hurdles". Hollister Free Lance. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
  6. ↑ Weber, Gretchen (October 13, 2010). "Marty: San Benito PV Array Clears a Key Hurdle". KQED. Retrieved 2012-04-26.
  7. ↑ "DEIR", cosb.us/Solargen.
  8. ↑ Environmentalists Eclipse Solar Energy
  • "Panoche Valley". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. 19 January 1981. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
  • Miguel, Ken (June 14, 2010). "Solar power plan under fire in Panoche Valley". KGO-TV. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
  • PV2 Energy
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