California Solar Projects Get Feds’ Go Ahead

John Davis

Earlier, I told you how a Nevada wind energy project got the green light to proceed from the U.S. Department of the Interior. Add two more renewable energy projects in California, this time solar and both in the state’s Riverside East Solar Energy Zone, also to be put on Bureau of Land Management property:

mccoysolar1The McCoy Solar Energy Project, located about 13 miles northwest of Blythe, CA, was proposed by McCoy Solar, LLC (a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC). The 750-megawatt photovoltaic solar facility would be one of the largest solar projects in the world, and encompass about 7,700 acres of BLM-managed lands and 477 acres of private land… When operational, the facility would generate enough clean power for an estimated 225,000 homes in southern California. A 12.5-mile generation transmission line would connect the project to Southern California Edison’s Colorado River Substation.

The Desert Harvest Solar Farm, proposed by EDF Renewable Energy (formerly enXco) on a sitedesertharvestmap1 six miles north of Desert Center, CA, would encompass about 1,208 acres of BLM-managed lands for the 150-megawatt photovoltaic
facility… When operational, the facility would generate enough electricity to power an estimated 45,000 homes in southern California. The project also includes an on-site substation and 230-kilovolt line to the Red Bluff Substation, which will connect the project to the Southern California Edison regional transmission grid.

BLM officials say both were developed with sensitive native species in mind.

Government, Solar