After a motion to amend the City’s current open space ordinance was shot down by the Planning Commission on May 28, Renewable Properties appealed the decision and the Benicia City Council voted 4-1 on July 7 in favor of moving the project forward.
The decision comes on the heels of the council recently approving a Climate Action Plan for Benicia, the first city to do so in Solano County. Councilmember Tom Campbell was the only dissenting vote.
“We have a legacy that we’re leaving behind,” said Benicia Mayor Elizabeth Patterson. “We owe it to the next generation.”
The project would increase Benicia’s solar output from 7.8 megawatts to 12.8 megawatts, an increase of 64 percent. By adding 5.0 Megawatts of clean, reliable solar energy, the project would interconnect to PG&E’s pre-existing electrical distribution system on site. That energy would then be sold to Marin Clean Energy (MCE) through a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).
Taking up approximately two percent of the City’s current open space, the project would not affect any residential areas and would only output 37 decibles of sound from 50 feet away. The project will not require any water from the City of Benicia’s municipal, groundwater or sewer service. Water will be trucked in from an outside source to irrigate and clean solar panels an estimated two times a year.
The 35-acre project on an 89 acre parcel of land would take an estimated five-six months of construction, and has undergone a full environmental review. The remaining 53 acres of the site will continue to support livestock grazing throughout the lifetime of the project, an estimated 35 years. An approximate 18,424 solar modules and 40 string inverters would convert solar energy into usable AC power.
“We have to look at things totally different,” said Vice Mayor Christina Strawbridge. “I don’t think we have the luxury of not doing this project.”
Of the 159 open space parcels located within the City, only eight of those parcels meet solar industry standards, and this proved to be the most desirable location with the least amount of impact.
“Energy and the climate issue is the issue of the moment,” said Councilmember Steve Young.
The project is not expected to result in significant impacts to sensitive biological communities, special-status plant species, or special-status wildlife species. The project will also include the installation of a pollinator plant meadow, which will increase the surrounding biodiversity within a three-mile radius of the project.
“This should have had to go to the residents for a vote to okay it per the rules set in place from Measure K, the 2003 citizen’s ballot initiative,” said Campbell in a letter explaining his vote against amending the zoning ordinance. “But instead an end around was done. Redefine what is allowed to be in open space city zoning to include solar farms. Now I actually like the solar project a lot but rules are rules. The spirit of Measure K was some things are too important for even a city council to decide.”