[ad_1]
The project was expected to power more than 44,000 homes.
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif — SMUD is pulling out of a controversial solar project east of Rancho Cordova that sparked months of backlash and a lawsuit.
The Sacramento County utility confirmed it is canceling its power purchase agreement for the proposed Coyote Creek Agrivoltaic Ranch. SMUD cited rising costs, supply chain issues, environmental concerns, project delays, and pending litigation as reasons for the decision.
“Over the years, SMUD and DESRI have delivered multiple important clean energy projects that benefit our community, and we look forward to continuing our partnership for years to come,” said SMUD CEO & General Manager Paul Lau in a news release. “We’d like to thank Sacramento County for all their work throughout the process and our SMUD Board of Directors for their leadership. We remain committed to following a flexible pathway to eliminate all carbon from our power supply by 2030.”
The project was expected to power more than 44,000 homes. Instead, SMUD says it is walking away.
Opponents of the project welcomed the announcement. Heather Fargo, board president of the Environmental Council of Sacramento, said the decision shows public concerns were heard.
“I am really pleased that the SMUD board members, least the majority of them, listened to the public,” Fargo said.
The Environmental Council of Sacramento is the group that sued Sacramento County after the project was approved in November.
Fargo said her group supports solar energy but objected to the location and environmental impact of the proposal.
“Obviously, we are not oppose to solar, solar project would work in a lot of areas, but to take out a native blue oak woodland and a creek and all the habitat that that involves when there are other sites that would be more appropriate was just wrong to us,” Fargo said.
The proposal called for a large solar farm and battery storage system on roughly 2,700 acres along Scott Road near White Rock Road. Plans included a 200-megawatt solar facility, a 100-megawatt battery system, a centralized 400-megawatt-hour battery storage system, a new on-site substation, and a 1.3-mile generation tie line connecting to the SMUD grid. The solar array itself would cover about 1,357 acres.
The project was designed to operate for 35 years, with a fully funded plan to restore the land after decommissioning. During a November meeting, the developer said sheep grazing would remain on land within the project’s fenced boundary and continue outside the fence under the control of the landowner in the Barton Ranch area.
Supporters of the project said it would help meet clean energy goals. Opponents warned it would damage native trees, some of which are hundreds of years old.
“These trees take at least 90 years to mature. Some of those trees are hundreds of years old. It just wasn’t right to take them out for a temporary solar project that could be located somewhere else,” Fargo said.
Even with SMUD pulling out, Fargo warned the project may not be dead. She said her group hopes SMUD will not allow another utility to use its transmission lines.
“Hopefully, they will not allow PG&E or anyone else to utilize their transmission lines to transfer energy to another part of the state,” Fargo said.
Because of those concerns, Fargo said the lawsuit remains active.
“We are not withdrawing from our lawsuit until we know that the project is dead and we think it needs to move somewhere else,” Fargo said.
SMUD said canceling the Coyote Creek agreement does not change its commitment to eliminating carbon from its power supply by 2030. In a statement to ABC10, the utility described its 2030 Zero Carbon Plan as a flexible roadmap that relies on a mix of carbon-free energy sources rather than a single solution.
SMUD pointed to recent investments in geothermal energy, which provides electricity around the clock, unlike solar or wind power that depends on weather and daylight. The utility said it has already committed to more than 1,400 megawatts of new carbon-free power by 2028, with another 1,500 megawatts under review. By comparison, SMUD says it added about 1,000 megawatts of clean energy over the previous 20 years.
The utility said the flexibility of its plan allows it to adapt to changes in technology, costs and energy needs while continuing to provide clean, affordable and reliable power for the Sacramento region.
ABC10 reached out to the project’s developer, D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments, for comment, but did not receive a response.
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read
[ad_2]