City Of Lancaster Approved CUP (Conditional Use Permit) for Solar Power Site

This is likely not a surprise for many but recently Lancaster Planning Commission approved 89± gross acres generally bounded by Avenue I-4, Avenue J, 102nd Street West, and 105th Street West to construct a 10-megawatt photovoltaic solar generating facility on the RR-2.5 (Rural Residential 2.5) Zoned land. The subject location is designated NU (Non-Urban Residential) by the General Plan, zoned RR-2.5 (Rural Residential, minimum lot size 2.5 acres). The City of Lancaster has determined that the development and use of alternative energy is beneficial to the community, and this determination is evident in the decisions made by the City Council. This is one of many alternative energy sites the City Council has implemented. There are several solar and wind energy programs installed on City facilities, and has become a provider of solar generated electricity to local school districts and other entities. Additionally, the City’s General Plan has several objectives and policies pertaining to alternative energy. These objectives address the need to develop new sources of energy, as well as reduce energy consumption. The proposed project is consistent with the City’s goals as addressed in Policy 3.6.6, which is to Consider and promote the use of alternative energy, such as this one. The solar company is Sustainable power sPower LLC

Large Solar Power Facilities Underway on the West Side

This will take up 1191 gross acres bounded by Ave K, 80th Street West and 105th Street West down to the aqueduct. The first phase will be 104 acres from Ave K to Ave K-8 and between 90th Street West and 100th Street West. Then there will be another 600 acres from 95th Street West between K and L generally. They will follow up with another 322 acres between 80th and 90th West from Ave L to Quarry Ridge Road. The last phase is 95 acres from 80th to 85th West between L and L-8. This plan is being undertaken by sPower or Sustainable Power Group according to the City of Lancaster records. The city is changing the zoning from Specific plan and other zonings to RR 2.5. This will allow a 150 megawatt facility in the RR 2.5 zone. The Conditional Use Permits were adopted and approve in late July. There has been some building out there already, but large area encompasses a great deal of land and takes up a lot of APN 3248. It appears that the solar company has secured a great deal of this land already and applied for the permits with the City of Lancaster. So the adage buy land and wait has paid off for these long and even short term investors as a developer has come and is developing at the current extreme city limits of Lancaster. If your not familiar with the city of Lancaster then you have missed the solar gold rush. But the city of Lancaster and Palmdale (Antelope Valley) are situated in the most norther part of Los Angles County. This developing facility is about 8 to 10 miles west of Hwy 14 and just north of the aqueduct that runs via the the southern portion of Antelope Valley. Some of the solar panels are visible via google maps or aerial mapping. Stay tuned here for more news.

EIR (Environmental Impact Report) is Under Way for Thousands of Future Solar Acres of Land in Lancaster and Los Angeles County

The Lancaster City officials recently authorized an environmental impact report on a proposal to install solar panels on 1,350 to 1,500 acres in west Lancaster. The Sustainable Power Group (sPower) (formerly Silverado Power, LLC) has filed a conditional use permit (CUP 14-10) for the development of 250 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic solar Power on approximately 1,500 acres. Due to the size of the proposed project, the preparation of an EIR is required as part of the approval process. Lancaster Planning Dept. on May 27, 2014 had a request for proposals (RFP) for the preparation of an EIR for the proposed project was sent out for consideration to 12 environmental consulting firms. Seven proposals were submitted to the City by the deadline of 4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17, 2014. Staff and the developer have reviewed the consultant proposals, and staff is recommending that the City retain the services of Stantec to prepare the EIR. Stantec will prepare the environmental impact report at a cost of more than $246,000. The cost would be paid by the Sustainable Power Group, which also would be required to pay a $25,000 deposit to cover city administrative costs. A recent article by the AV Press indicated that the 250-megawatt project is the largest ever proposed within city limits, though other larger solar plants have been approved elsewhere in the Antelope Valley. The planned solar area is generally bounded by 80th and 105th streets west, Columbia Way (Avenue M) and Avenue K-4. Just last month sPower Group received approval from Los Angeles County planners for six solar power fields proposed to cover nearly 1,000 acres around Antelope Acres and west of Lancaster. This 1500 acre Lancaster Solar Project is similar to the Antelope Valley Solar Ranch One which was approved for 230 megawatts on 2,100 acres at Avenue D and 170th Street West. Billionaire investor Warren Buffett's has a 579-megawatt Solar Star development is 3,230 acres straddling the Kern County-Los Angeles County line between 110th and 190th streets west. The Silverado Power/Sustainable Power Group projects approved last month by the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission are proposed on Avenue B east of 110th Street West (20 megawatts, 240 acres), Avenue K west of 110th Street West (40 megawatts, 157 acres), Avenue G west of 70th Street West (35 megawatts, 135 acres), Avenue I west of 112th Street West (20 megawatts, 160 acres), Avenue D at 35th Street West (5 megawatts, 38 acres), and between avenues J to H-8 between 85th and 97th streets west (52 megawatts, 256 acres). In giving their approval, county planners attached a condition to the project at Avenue J and 85th Street West that requires the developer to provide an air filtration system for the adjacent Summerhaven Ranch All-Nations Retreat Center prior to construction. A condition was added to the project on Avenue K west of 110th Street West that requires the developer to dedicate one-third of the site as permanent open space. The Antelope Valley is quickly becoming the Solar Capital of the US. This bodes well for land owners on Lancaster’s West side. Buy land and wait still holds true in Los Angeles County.