| Panoche Valley Solar Farm | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Location | Panoche Valley,San Benito County |
| Coordinates | 36°37′N120°52′W / 36.62°N 120.87°W /36.62; -120.87 |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | April 2016 |
| Commission date | January 2018[1] |
| Construction cost | approximately $1 billion |
| Owners | Panoche Valley Solar, LLC. |
| Solar farm | |
| Type | Flat-panel PV |
| Site area | 1,300 acres (530 ha) |
| Power generation | |
| Nameplate capacity | 130MW[2] |
| External links | |
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Panoche Valley Solar Farm is a 130 megawatt (MW),[2] utility-scale solarphotovoltaic power station in thePanoche Valley ofCentral California'sSan Benito County.[3] Panoche Valley is crossed by a 230-kilovolt (kV) power line from theMoss Landing Power Plant.[3]
Originally proposed by Solargen Energy (later known as Nevo Energy),[4][5] the project was purchased by PV2 Energy in April 2011, with Nevo Energy retaining a small equity interest, but no voting, governance or management input. In April 2012, PV2 Energy entered into a joint venture withDuke Energy, the largest utility in the United States. The project was eventually acquired byCon Edison in 2016.[6]
The project site consists of 4,717 acres (1,909 ha) of private land in the northern portion of the valley. It is used for pasture-based livestock grazing on native grassland habitat.[7] In October 2010, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors approved the company’s environmental impact report.[8][9] Originally proposed at 399 MW, the cost was estimated at approximately $1 billion.[10] The project faced lawsuits from three environmental groups who charged that project would harm native species such as thegiant kangaroo rat,blunt-nosed leopard lizard,San Joaquin kit fox, and various bird species.[6] The project was downsized to 247 MW and eventually 130 MW in 2017 after a settlement was reached.[6][11] The plant started producing power in January 2018.[1]RWE acquired Con Edison's clean energy business in 2023.[12]
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 7,127 | 12,526 | 12,779 | 17,446 | 20,209 | 20,271 | 20,588 | 19,533 | 23,132 | 24,024 | 18,216 | 16,554 | 212,405 |
| 2019 | 16,691 | 19,603 | 28,963 | 37,719 | 38,348 | 46,276 | 48,133 | 44,190 | 37,025 | 30,878 | 20,290 | 13,722 | 381,838 |
| 2020 | 16,912 | 25,900 | 20,287 | 18,395 | 29,662 | 39,296 | 47,470 | 37,455 | 27,922 | 24,917 | 18,611 | 18,450 | 325,277 |
| 2021 | 17,437 | 19,453 | 29,067 | 38,078 | 38,940 | 42,968 | 44,627 | 38,897 | 32,902 | 18,941 | 21,484 | 13,202 | 355,996 |
| 2022 | 19,808 | 25,597 | 26,116 | 15,420 | 22,128 | 37,233 | 41,289 | 39,405 | 28,850 | 25,565 | 21,014 | 14,306 | 316,731 |
| 2023 | 15,815 | 17,910 | 15,158 | 9,299 | 30,367 | 32,563 | 45,430 | 38,736 | 32,097 | 45,248 | 18,624 | 14,692 | 315,939 |
| 2024 | 15,110 | 10,508 | 8,079 | 13,098 | 20,698 | 35,433 | 44,666 | 40,026 | 31,714 | 24,848 | 18,996 | 15,916 | 279,092 |
| Average Annual Production (2018-2024) | 312,468 | ||||||||||||
