A project years in the making is now moving forward in eastern Kern County. The new solar development expects to bring jobs and renewable energy, but the approval didn’t come without any questions.
“I’m not opposed to renewable energy, but I do believe we have a responsibility to ask the question, what are Kern County residents receiving in return?”
That question came from District 1 Supervisor Phillip Peters during Tuesday’s Kern County Board of Supervisors meeting as leaders considered the Discovery Solar PV and Storage Project, a large renewable development planned for eastern Kern County.
Peters said his concern isn’t renewable energy itself, but whether the county is receiving enough financial benefit from hosting a project like this.
"California continues to talk to Kern County about a just transition, but the reality is the rest of the state gets to transition to green energy, while Kern County just gets to host the projects,” said Peters.
Peters pointed to state tax exemptions for renewable energy projects, questioning how much revenue stays locally for services like roads, public safety, and schools.
Despite those concerns, the board voted to approve the project in a 3-to-1 vote, with one supervisor absent. With support for the project extending beyond county officials.
"This project represents a meaningful and forward-looking investment in East Kern County’s economy, while advancing California’s reliability and resilience goals by providing much needed energy that we all know we’re going to need,” said Claire Scotty, Executive Director of Greater Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce.
Developers estimate the project will employ an average of 470 workers each day during construction, with that number reaching about 660 workers during peak build-out.
The Discovery Solar PV and Storage Project will cover more than 7,000 acres near Mojave. Once complete, it’s expected to generate up to 1,400 megawatts of clean energy, enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes, and store electricity to meet peak demand.
Terra-Gen says construction is expected to begin in the coming years after additional planning and permitting.
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