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ALUC-19-18 (Benicia Solar Project)
Conduct a Public Hearing to consider a Consistency Determination for the Benicia Solar Project with the Travis Air Force Base Land Use Compatibility Plan (County of Solano)
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Published Notice Required? Yes ___ No _ _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ___ No _ _
DISCUSSION:
INTRODUCTION
The City of Benicia is considering a proposal to establish a commercial scale solar electric generation project on the north side of Lake Herman Road opposite the intersection with Reservoir Road (See Attachment A1 Project Description). The project site is approximately 90 acres in size and is located within Compatibility Zone D of the Travis Plan.
According to the project description, the project will:
"..... generate a total of 5.0 Megawatts (MW) AC (7 MW DC) of clean, reliable solar energy when complete. The Project will interconnect to PG&E's pre-existing electrical distribution system located on site. The power generated from this facility will be sold to Marin Clean Energy (MCE) through a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Additionally, the Project will be equipped with energy storage technology that will allow on site renewable energy generation to be stored and dispatched onto the grid when needed.
The Lake Herman Solar Project will utilize approximately 18,424 solar modules and 40 string inverters, which convert the sun's energy into usable, AC power. Single axis tracking technology will be utilized to allow the modules to efficiently track the sun throughout the day and maximize the efficiency of solar collection. The modules will be mounted on a steel racking system, which will be anchored into the ground using driven steel piers. The overall height of the array will be no more than 8 feet tall."
The project will be located on property in the City of Benicia with an open space zoning designation. As a part of the process, the City will be considering a zoning text amendment which would allow comm...
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