COLUSA COUNTY
NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY
DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
JANUS SOLAR PROJECT (PD-3829/UP 20-01), SCH Number 2020070577

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the County of Colusa, as the Lead Agency, has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the proposed Use Permit (UP) and Williamson Act contract cancellation to construct, operate, maintain, and decommission a photovoltaic (PV) electricity generating facility, with a battery energy storage system (BESS) and associated facilities and infrastructure, commonly known as the Janus Solar Project (Project). 

PROJECT LOCATION:  The Project is approximately 6.5 miles southwest of the City of Williams. State Highway 20 runs about one mile from the Project site, north and west. The proposed Project would be located on three parcels (APN’s 018-050-005, -006, and -013) totaling 1,023.9 acres currently used for cattle grazing in Colusa County, California. The Project would connect to the Cortina Substation, located on Walnut Drive, approximately 3 miles northeast of the Project site. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:  The Project consists of three major components: a solar energy generating facility, the battery energy storage system (BESS), and the generation tie-line. The solar facility would include arrays of solar PV modules (or panels) and support structures, power inverters and transformers/power conditioning stations, and an on-site substation.  The Project would include approximately 196,000 solar PV modules in multiple solar arrays interconnected to form a utility-scale PV system.  Other solar facility components would include a project substation, access roads, perimeter fences, telecommunications infrastructure, a meteorological data collection system, signage, lighting, stormwater facilities, and an operations and maintenance building. 

The BESS is expected to be located adjacent to the aforementioned substation. Batteries would be contained within enclosures. The combined footprint for the BESS would be approximately 5 acres.  Key components of the BESS include batteries and battery storage system enclosures and controllers, converters, inverters, and transformers.  The BESS enclosures would also house required heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and fire protection systems.

The on-site substation would connect to the existing Cortina Substation via an approximately 3-mile-long, 60 kV gen-tie line strung on approximately 59 new poles of up to 80 feet in height. The gen-tie line also would include fiber optic line for communications.

PUBLIC REVIEW PERIOD:  The 45-day public review period for the DEIR begins on October 15, 2021 and ends on November 29, 2021.   All comments must be received within this time period. Written comments should be submitted to Greg Plucker, Community Development Director, 1213 Market Street, Colusa, CA 95932 or to gplucker@countyofcolusa.com.

DOCUMENT AVAILABILITY: The DEIR and other project documentation is available for review online at: https://www.countyofcolusa.org/996/Janus-Solar-Project.  Hard copies are available for review at the Colusa Main Library at 738 Market St. in Colusa, CA 95932, the Williams Branch Library at 901 E Street in Williams, CA 95987, and the Community Development Department at 1213 Market Street, Colusa, CA. 95932.

SCHEDULE PUBLIC MEETING:  A public meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, November 4, 2021 at Granzella’s Conference Room, 391 6th St., Williams, CA 95987 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.

SIGNIFICANT ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: The DEIR evaluates the Project’s potentially significant impacts and recommends mitigation measures to avoid/reduce impacts. The Project is not expected to result in any significant, unmitigated impacts.

HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES: The proposed project is not located on any hazardous waste sites lists enumerated under Section 65965.5 of the Government Code.  

QUESTIONS: If you have any questions about this project, please contact Greg Plucker, County of Colusa, Community Development Department by phone at (530) 458-0480 or by email at gplucker@countyofcolusa.com.

Dated:  October 15, 2021

/s/ Melissa Kitts, Deputy Clerk

10/21/2021 – WPR #2021-5056