Panoche Valley Solar Farm fight goes back to court

The years long fight over a solar farm in San Benito County could soon be over. A judge holds the fate of the project in his hands because he has to decide if a supplemental environmental impact report is sufficient. Judge Harry Tobias heard from both sides of the argument and scheduled a continuance on the matter for Thursday, September 17.

Outside of the courtroom on Thursday, dozens of people turned out to support the Panoche Valley Solar Farm. CEO John Pimentel says it will create hundreds of jobs in San Benito and Fresno Counties. However, one business man says he’s against it. Larry Ronneberg runs Mercey Hot Springs near the proposed project. He’s afraid construction trucks will drive away customers.

“We believe the estimate is about 580 truck trips on little Panoche Road,” Ronneberg explains, “Which goes right past my property, which is also my business. And it’s a campground. The reason people come there for birds, for quiet, hot water, peace and relaxation away from the city.”

He, like the attorney representing different environmental groups like the Sierra Club and the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, say they support solar power, just not this project’s location in the middle of the Panoche Valley, east of Hollister.

Lawyer Don Mooney says native animal species are even more at risk now, than when the last environmental impact reports were conducted. Mooney also voiced concerns over ground water usage.

“(It) failed to consider new information with regards to these species,” Mooney explains, “That they are in more serious decline as a result of the drought.”

But the CEO of the project says a lot has been done to protect wildlife, like the blunt nosed leopard lizard and the giant kangaroo rat. One mitigating effort was to downsize the original project from 400 megawatts to 247 megawatts.

“Putting in a 500-yard wide corridor so the kit fox can move through the solar farm,” Pimentel said.

Now it’s up to Judge Tobias to decide. If Tobias decides in favor of the environmental groups, Panoche Valley Solar says it will appeal to the appellate court. If he decides in favor of Panoche, the project could break down in October.

“We want to get to work as soon as possible on the project,” Pimentel said. “And we are waiting for the court’s decision on this document to do that.”