A proposed 1,200-acre solar farm off Skyway just outside Chico could bring hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to Butte County. But some residents say it could come at an environmental cost.
The project’s developer — Cenergy Power — presented a proposed benefits package to the Butte County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. It includes up to $300,000 a year for the county, land for a fire station and a $250,000 grant for the Sheriff’s Office.
About 20 residents attended Tuesday's meeting, raising concerns about the loss of oak trees and potential fire risks from the project's batteries. Some pointed to the 2025 Moss Landing battery plant fire in Monterey County.
Elizabeth Devereaux said she’s concerned about how the project could change the landscape she’s known for decades.
“When I first drove up Skyway about 45 years ago, I thought ‘this is like a mini Grand Canyon,’” Devereaux said. “And there are many of the blue oaks that grow very slowly that would be gotten rid of.”
Following pushback from residents at a meeting in September, Cenergy Power agreed to set aside nearly 600 acres of land as an ecological preserve for blue oaks.
But despite those concessions, Supervisor Tami Ritter said it’s too early to consider the developer’s proposed benefit package without first seeing an environmental review.
"While I appreciate the applicant being here to discuss this … it seems very premature to me,” she said.
Tuesday’s meeting was informational, and supervisors took no action. While the county could eventually decide whether to accept the proposed benefits agreement, the state would have final say on whether the solar farm gets approved to be built.
A representative for Cenergy Power said it plans to file its application in November, and that it will continue to take community input into consideration.
