Water Education Foundation
This is just one post in the Water Agency News Category
Click here to view all posts

Valley solar plant would be among world’s largest

Posted by: Maven on March 16, 2010 at 5:21 am

From the Fresno Bee:

“About 30,000 fallow acres in western Kings and Fresno counties could return to productivity as home to a massive installation of solar power panels.

Westlands Water District has a lease contract with Westside Holdings, a private investment group with plans for a 5,000-megawatt solar power plant. If built, it would be one of the largest installations of solar photovoltaic panels in the world. And it could help spur a “green energy” surge, diversifying the west-side economy from its historic reliance on agriculture.

Westlands Solar Park is one of a growing number of solar projects being pitched for sunny stretches of land in the western and southern San Joaquin Valley.

There are at least a dozen utility-scale projects, ranging from 5 to 250 megawatts, planned in Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties. Their development, however, can get bogged down by regulatory and environmental review and fundraising. Only one plant has been built — the 40-acre, 5-megawatt CalRenew-1 plant in Mendota. It awaits testing and connection to the power grid.

But the Westlands project stands out for several reasons: It dwarfs anything else on the drawing board in the region; it’s planned for farmland retired because of salt buildup and lack of water; and it’s making unlikely allies of farmers and environmentalists. … “


Continue reading this article from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.

March 16, 2010 · Filed Under Water Agency News

Comments

Leave a Reply