Solargen Energy this week held two public meetings on the
environmental factors in the company’s proposal to install 1.8
million solar panels in the Panoche Valley. Solargen is proposing
to build the solar farm in an area that is about 4,700 acres,
according to the details in the proposal shown at Monday’s scoping
meeting in Panoche and a Tuesday gathering in Hollister at the
Veterans Memorial Building. The company is pushing for permit
approval by the end of the year so it could receive federal credits
toward start-up costs.
The county held two meetings this week on the environmental factors in the Solargen Energy’s proposal to install 1.8 million solar panels in the Panoche Valley.
Solargen is proposing to build the solar farm in an area that is about 4,700 acres, according to the details in the proposal shown at Monday’s scoping meeting in Panoche and a Tuesday gathering in Hollister at the Veterans Memorial Building. The company is pushing for permit approval by the end of the year so it could receive federal credits toward start-up costs.
Since Solargen is on a fast track, it hopes to finish a draft environmental impact report in June – there will be public workshops in the summer as well – and the final EIR by mid-September. Residents attended the meetings this week in response to the notice of preparation for the draft EIR. About 50 locals were in attendance and many expressed a range of concerns to potentially mitigate such as those surrounding air quality, agricultural resources, noise, traffic and cultural issues. The comment period for the EIR scoping lasts until April 1.
The Audubon Society and area chapters of the Sierra Club also showed up and listed off concerns, while noting how such solar farms are more appropriately placed in less-resourceful areas.
As far as project details presented at the scoping meetings, representatives reported how it would comprise 4,717 acres currently used for livestock grazing and open space. It is about two miles southwest of the Fresno County line and the Panoche Hills, and about 15 miles from Interstate 5, according to a report compiled by Solargen.
The Panoche Valley Solar Farm would consist of a 420-megawatt solar energy-generation facility with more than 1.8 million pole-mounted panels, along with associated electrical equipment and an operations and maintenance building.
It would be constructed in five phases, with the first 20 megawatts installed by late 2011 as the first phase, and the final 100 megawatts done by late 2015 in the last phase.
None of the five supervisors were at the gathering in Hollister, and it is unclear who might have attended the earlier meeting. One candidate, Jerry Muenzer, who is running for District 4 supervisor, was in attendance at the Veterans Memorial Building on Tuesday.
Information for comments:
Send written comments to Planning Director Art Henriques, c/o Aspen Environmental Group, 235 Montgomery St., suite 935, San Francisco, CA 94104. For information, call (888) 467-1863.
