Large solar projects resurfacing
One may come to Porterville area
There have not been any new large, commercial solar projects in Tulare County for a couple of years, but that may change with Gov. Jerry Brown signing the extension of the Cap and Trade and other laws which are more aggressive in having the state reduce its carbon emissions and increase its use of renewable energy.
Michael Washam, assistant director Planning Branch with Tulare County’s Resource Management Agency, said Tuesday he has had contact with a company interested in possibly constructing a large solar project near the Porterville Municipal Airport which could produce as much as 50 megawatts of power.
While development of the large projects like those found off of Highway 65 in the Ducor area have slowed, Washam said more and more large dairies are installing solar to offset their operating costs and the number of residential solar projects has risen as well.
Dairies appear to have jumped on the bandwagon.
“In 2015 we only had about two dairies with solar. That’s exploded to more than 30 now,” said Washam.
One of the first dairies to install solar was Fernandes Brothers at Fern Oak Farms on Avenue 160 near Woodville. In 2013 they installed a 1 megawatt solar project.
“It has been worth it,” said Greg Fernandes, one of the dairy owners. “What’s made it work is the tax advantages and no property taxes,” he said of the incentives to install solar. He said without those breaks, solar may not be worth it.
Since that first installation, they have installed solar at two other dairies.
Fernandes said the solar is beneficial. “It’s taking care of 85 percent of our needs,” he said. However, because of the drought and the deepening of wells, that is down from 90 percent a couple of years ago.
Washam said nearly every dairy solar project is 1 megawatt and Fernandes said that is because that is where the incentives kick in. A megawatt is enough electricity to power 250 homes for a year.
The 1 megawatt dairy projects cost in the neighborhood of $3 million each.
Big Projects Several large projects, most now owned by Conedison, have been completed or are just near going online. Among those are several south of Porterville, ranging in size from 20 to 35 megawatts each. There are also a couple of large solar projects in the Alpaugh area.
All total, Washam said the commercial projects in the county add up to 360 megawatts. On those, the power generated is sent directly into the grid and dispersed around the state.
On a smaller scale are several projects where less power is generated and it is put into the local grid, such as the IMMODO Solar project at North Main Street and Linda Vista Avenue. A similar IMMODO project is along Highway 137 west of Lindsay.
Then, there are what Washam called site projects, solar projects similar to the ones at dairies which power a certain site. Several of those have been put in next to factories and packing houses throughout the county.
So far, he said, he has not heard of any growers setting aside part of their farm for solar to offset the loss of groundwater expected by the Groundwater Sustainable Act. That act will likely limit what a farmer can pump from the ground, so if a grower takes out half of his 100 acres and puts that in solar, he has twice as much water for the remaining 50 acres.
Washam pointed out that is not so easy because the county does have restrictions on taking out prime ag land for solar projects, instead pointing most projects onto non-irrigated or marginal land.
The projects south of Porterville are large. Washam said in 2016 there were six projects underway in the county at that time, with the four largest near Ducor. Those projects were once called the Vestal Projects because of their proximity to the Vestal Substation. Now, they are called Ducor 1,2, 3, 4 and Tulare Solar Center. He said the projects represent an investment of approximately $130 million and that does not count electric substations that are also being built. He estimated those substations cost about $30 million each.
Demand Grows Washam expects his office to get busier with the extension of Cap and Trade and other environmental laws.
“We’ve had a lull for two-three years. Hardly anyone talked about it, but now we’ve got this one coming,” he said referring to the talk of approximately a 300-acre solar field near the Porterville Airport. City of Porterville officials said they had not heard anything about such a project or any plans to supply power to the area of the airport.
“Fifty megawatts will feed a direct area. That’s the first one I’ve seen at that scale,” he added.
Because of the push for more renewable energy, Washam said, “Utilities have to find new renewable sources.”
Besides the larger projects, Washam said home solar projects have been booming as well. He said last year the county issued about 650 permits for solar power projects for single-family residences. “If cities are doing as much, we’re seeing at least 1,500 a year. That’s a lot.”
He said residential solar installations make up about 23 percent of all the building permits issued by the county. That’s up from 17 percent a year ago.
And, he said there are still a lot of dairies — about 250 — which have yet to install a solar project.
Solar is profitable for the county, which negotiates a price on the commercial projects which pays the county a yearly fee based on megawatt produced. Washam estimated that is about $223,000 a year right now. That fee is only imposed on the commercial projects.