Panoche Valley Solar, which is developing the 247-megawatt solar farm in southern San Benito County, is hosting an open house to celebrate the opening of a new Hollister office. The open house is set for 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Feb. 5 at The Vault, 452 San Benito St.
The new office will be at 530 San Benito St., suite 102 in downtown Hollister.
That company vying to build a 247-megawatt solar farm in Panoche recently submitted a draft supplemental environmental impact report addressing plans to address impacts under a revised, reduced proposal. Panoche Valley Solar filed the supplemental draft EIR on Dec. 23. The prior company overseeing the project, Solargen Energy, had an initial EIR approved by the county board in late 2010.
Panoche Valley Solar submitted the supplemental draft—the public comment period is open until Feb. 10—to address changes to the project such as addressing issues with transmission lines, a reduced project scope, a more condensed but intensified construction schedule, and variations in water use. That latest draft EIR comes after the company’s August announcement that it secured a power purchase agreement—the last, major step in the process—with Southern California Edison.
As for the new office, the company plans to host events to meet with local businesses and discuss training opportunities “within the next few weeks,” according to announcement on the open house.
