Cuyama Solar Project Gets Green Light

Calling it a “win, win, win” for the county and his district, Supervisor Salud Carbajal championed the unanimous green light on 9/9 of a 40-megawatt solar-array system across 300 acres in Cuyama; once constructed, the project will be the county’s first foray into industrial-scale alternative energy. Proposed in 2010 by company First Solar, the panels will generate enough electricity for PG&E’s grid to power 15,000 homes and could create up to 200 construction jobs and a handful of permanent maintenance positions. This project’s approval leaves enough transmission-line capacity in Cuyama for either one 35-megawatt project or several smaller ones. The item will be back before the board in October for a final vote.