Panoche Valley Solar Farm
| Panoche Valley Solar Farm | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Panoche Valley, San Benito County |
| Coordinates | 36°37′N 120°52′W / 36.62°N 120.87°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | April 2016 |
| Commission date | January 2018[1] |
| Construction cost | approximately $1 billion |
| Owner(s) | Panoche Valley Solar, LLC. |
| Solar farm | |
| Type | Flat-panel PV |
| Site area | 1,300 acres (530 ha) |
| Power generation | |
| Nameplate capacity | 130 MW[2] |
Panoche Valley Solar Farm is a 130 megawatt (MW),[2] utility-scale solar photovoltaic power station in the Panoche Valley of Central California's San Benito County.[3] Panoche Valley is crossed by a 230-kilovolt (kV) power line from the Moss Landing Power Plant.[3]
Originally proposed by Solargen Energy (later known as Nevo Energy),[4][5] the project was purchased by PV2 Energy in April 2011, with Nevo Energy retaining a small equity interest, but no voting, governance or management input. In April 2012, PV2 Energy entered into a joint venture with Duke Energy, the largest utility in the United States. The project was eventually acquired by Con Edison in 2016.[6]
The project site consists of 4,717 acres (1,909 ha) of private land in the northern portion of the valley. It is used for pasture-based livestock grazing on native grassland habitat.[7] In October 2010, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors approved the company’s environmental impact report.[8][9] Originally proposed at 399 MW, the cost was estimated at approximately $1 billion.[10] The project faced lawsuits from three environmental groups who charged that project would harm native species such as the giant kangaroo rat, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, San Joaquin kit fox, and various bird species.[6] The project was downsized to 247 MW and eventually 130 MW in 2017 after a settlement was reached.[6][11] The plant started producing power in January 2018.[1] RWE acquired Con Edison's clean energy business in 2023.[12]
Electricity production
[edit]| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 7,127 | 12,526 | 12,779 | 17,446 | 20,209 | 20,271 | 20,588 | 19,533 | 23,132 | 24,024 | 18,216 | 16,554 | 212,405 |
| 2019 | 16,691 | 19,603 | 28,963 | 37,719 |
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Panoche Valley Solar Farm, Monthly". Electricity Data Browser. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
- ^ a b de Bertaut, Carmel (2018-11-06). "Panoche Valley Preserve Opens". BenitoLink. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
- ^ a b "Panoche Valley Solar Farm". San Benito County. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
- ^ nevo energy inc (NEVE:OTC US)
- ^ "Panoche Valley, California". Retrieved 2010-06-16.
- ^ a b c Rogers, Paul (July 21, 2017). "Giant California solar project cut back after environmentalists oppose it". San Jose Mercury News.
- ^ Richman, Marty (May 25, 2010). "Marty: Solargen must clear economic hurdles". Hollister Free Lance. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
- ^ Weber, Gretchen (October 13, 2010). "Marty: San Benito PV Array Clears a Key Hurdle". KQED. Retrieved 2012-04-26.
- ^ "DEIR", cosb.us/Solargen.
- ^ Environmentalists Eclipse Solar Energy
- ^ Chadwell, John. "Panoche Valley Solar Project money begins to reach county". Benitolink. Archived from the original on 9 April 2019.
- ^ "RWE completes $6.8B acquisition of Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses".
External links
[edit]- "Panoche Valley". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. 19 January 1981. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
- Miguel, Ken (June 14, 2010). "Solar power plan under fire in Panoche Valley". KGO-TV. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
- PV2 Energy
