2008's World's Largest Solar Farm, Spain
A large solar project, 1.2 million panels on roughly 3,200 acres, is being proposed for the Panoche Valley, South of Hollister. The project poses an interesting question, which environmentalist gets the nod?
According to the Audobon Society the issues center around wildlife habitat and corridors for travel. With several endangered species living in the valley and serving as home to more than 130 bird species, the Audobon Society opposes development that might further endanger wildlife.
The counter argument says the remote valley, 20 miles from the nearest town, with 18,000 acres from five willing sellers, is the perfect remote location to provide 420 megawatts of energy. Enough energy to power 315,000 homes and replace one mid-size natural gas power plant.
China lays claim to having plans for the world’s largest solar farm with a 1 gigawatt facility planned for the Qaidam Basin and a 2 gigawatt farm planned for the Mongolian desert.
PG&E has plans for a large solar farm in San Luis Obispo by partnering with Haywards OptiSolar for 550 megawatts as well as a partnership with San José’s SunPower for a 250 megawatt farm in the same area.
Sustainable farmer Kim Williams points out Solargen, which has never built a solar farm, is going after federal subsidies which are readily available due to increased interest in alternative energy. Williams hints Solargen may not be ready for a project of this magnitude.
Senator Dianne Feinstein supports solar farms and wildlife protection. Feinstein introduced a bill that would end ambitious plans for solar farms in the Mojave Desert to protect federal lands and wildlife habitat.
There is no easy answer here and the question pits environmentalists against each other.
Kim Williams
January 13, 2010
This is more of a land use issue rather than an environmental one. Panoche Valley is zoned as Prime Agricultural Land with Class 1 soil. Most of Solargen’s proposed project site is in contract under the Land Conservation Act, or Williamson Act as it’s more commonly known. Converting this land to the proposed industrial use will unnecessarily take it out of agricultural production forever and adversely affect surrounding agriculture, such as Your Family Farm, Claravale Dairy, Heirloom Organics and Douglas Ranch Meats. Also, all of agricultural business in Panoche Valley is conducive to wildlife and their habitat. We don’t need to mitigate land or have Environmental Impact Reports done for our business’s because we responsibly steward the land in harmony with nature. Solargen’s proposal was denied a Compatible Use permit under the Williamson Act because what their proposing is NOT compatible with agriculture – plain and simple. Foreign food dependence is as much of an issue as foreign oil dependence, and with 2 acres of farmland lost every minute in America it’s becoming harder and harder to connect with local, family farmers.
Germany did not become a world leader in solar energy production by filling up their agricultural open space with solar panels. They first employed SmartGrid technology, (allowing the efficient use of an intermittent energy source) and then worked to support solar installations close to point of use. Too much energy is lost through transmission to make the outdated power company paradigm of producing energy in a remote location and trasmitting over long distances to urban areas profitable. If agricultural land is deemed necessary to convert, it makes sense to develop land sandwiched between existing industrial use parcels, and within a city’s Sphere of Influence, rather than leapfrog development that eats up valuable, fertile ag land.