COLUSA, CA (MPG) – Approval of the controversial Janus Solar project has been left entirely to the Colusa County Board of Supervisors after the Planning Commission failed to make a recommendation.
Colusa County Planning Commission Chair Heath Krug adjourned the discussion after a contentious two-hour public hearing on Feb. 5, after which the commission took no action.
The board of supervisors will take the matter up at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
Janus Solar (RWE) seeks to construct, operate, maintain, and decommission after 35 years a solar photovoltaic power generating facility with a battery energy storage system about 6.5 miles southwest of Williams. The 666-acre solar farm, consisting of 197,000 solar panels, would generate up to 80 megawatts of electricity, store up to 320 megawatt hours of electricity, and connect to the electrical grid at the existing PG&E Cortina Substation via a transmission line.
The increase in property tax revenue to the county, from $5,000 to $76,000, would be significant, as would the property tax increase to the school districts and allocation to the Williams Fire Protection Authority, said Community Development Director Xzandrea Fowler.
The first proposed commercial solar project in Colusa County has created a modern-day range war between solar energy advocates – who believe the project provides for a sustainable future and economic benefits through job creation and local investments – and the project’s neighbors who see the renewable energy farm as a fire risk and threat to their agricultural way of life.
The Favero family, who plan to sell approximately 888 acres of their sprawling 8,500-acre cattle ranch to Janus Solar, said they didn’t have the same concerns as their neighbors, following an environmental review of the project and the mitigation measures that have been proposed.
Rex Favero and his father, Paul, said they plan to continue their large agriculture operation as they have for 60 years and have the right to make land use decisions regarding their property and livelihood.
“This (solar) project is about a small, small part of that (larger agriculture) project,” Paul Favero said. “It’s something that I feel is very important to this area, not only in jobs created, but bringing industry to this area and helping it to make it more valuable and viable. We still have a large cattle operation out there. We’re still going to do that. We’re not going to go away.”
Opponents of the project believe the commercial solar project is inconsistent with the general plan.
Fowler, as did her predecessor, Greg Plucker, said the general plan does allow for commercial solar on agricultural land with a conditional use permit and removal of the land from the Williamson Act.
“The General Plan consists of a variety of goals, objectives, and policies, some of which are broad in scope, others of which are highly specific,” Fowler said. “General plans are drafted in this way to reflect and address a range of competing interests. And projects are not required to be in rigid conformity with every provision.
Both the planning commission and board of supervisors denied the Janus Solar project as originally proposed last summer. Since then, the developer has worked with a county ad hoc committee to consider acceptable conditions of approval rather than seek direct approval of the original project from the state. Among the modifications the company is willing to make as a condition of approval is placing a section of the tie line connecting the power generation facility to PG&E’s larger transmission system at the Spring Valley Road and Walnut Drive intersection underground.
With just three commissioners present at the Jan. 5 public hearing, Planning Commissioner Kirk Pendleton’s motion to deny the project outright died without a second.
Commissioner Gerry Nall then made a motion to approve the project with the condition the entire generation transmission line put underground. That motion also died without a second. Commissioners Elizabeth Yerxa and Dave McCullough have not participated in discussions about the project, which has been in progress for several years, due to potential conflicts of interest.
Tuesday’s public hearing will likely be long. The project has broad community support from taxpayers, trade unions, and community groups who will speak to the benefits of the county having a diversified economy.
Opponents want decision-makers to consider only the project itself and its safety.
“We live here,” said Jean Terkildsen. “We participate in the 4-H program and the school things. We’re not against any of those things and we understand the need for money. But the citizens don’t seem to be looking at the project itself, but just at the financial gain.
Others noted that every project, including agricultural operations, presents various costs and benefits. Agricultural activities, such as rice milling and walnut hulling, also pose visual, noise, environmental, and safety risks, but typically come with significantly less financial investment in the community compared to what the Janus Solar project will provide, which is approximately $36 million over the life of the project.
Williams resident Kevin Ash said the two, maybe three families who oppose Janus Solar have opposed almost everything that has ever been proposed within their vicinity and he’s tired of Williams being held hostage through opposition to compatible commercial development, which have left government services, schools, and nonprofit groups to fail for lack of financial support.
“My voice comes from that of a grassroots volunteer group and my wife, who is president of the Williams Unified School District and Citizens for a Better Williams,” Ash said. “The three reasons for nonprofits to fail are burnout, age out, and death of its members…We need the money here. Our community will benefit. And if we don’t, we lose.”
The project anticipates about $36 million in local economic activity over the lifetime of the power generation facility, after which the land will be returned to its original state, company officials said.