US developer CIM Group has started construction of an up to 2700MW solar project in California’s San Joaquin Valley.
Westlands Solar Park, one of the largest permitted solar parks in the world, straddling western Fresno and Kings Counties, is designed to come online in phases to supply public and private utilities and other energy consumers, according to CIM.
The first phase of CIM’s development at Westlands Solar Park includes Aquamarine, a 250MW facility, which has obtained all entitlement and conditional use approvals following a full environmental impact review.
CIM signed a power purchase agreement with Valley Clean Energy Alliance, a locally governed electricity provider for the California cities of Davis and Woodland and unincorporated portions of Yolo County, for 50MW of capacity, with initial delivery anticipated to occur in late 2021.
Valley Clean Energy’s decision to select Aquamarine from a competitive solicitation process was based on its board adopting criteria designed to select cost-effective California-based renewable projects that minimise impacts on prime farmland, environmentally protected species, and habitat.
At the Westlands Solar Park site CIM is repurposing selenium-contaminated and drainage-impaired farmland for the development of clean energy.
The project has, according to CIM, garnered strong support from environmental communities including the Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Center for Biological Diversity.
The developer has a completed and certified programmatic environmental impact report for the entire project.