PCEC Solar Project

PCEC Solar Project

The proposed project would allow construction of a 3.9-MW DC ground-mounted tracking solar PV system on Pacific Coast Energy Company's (PCEC) property on Orcutt Hill. The system would consist of 10,962 solar modules installed on a tracker system by way of roughly 1,400 driven 1-beam piles across an 18.76-acre project area and would connect to two switchboards and transformers. The newly proposed solar array would connect to an existing 12 kV overhead pole "New Love East 21" (NLE21) on the Orcutt Hill site and would require approx 5,700 ft overhead power line. Grading would include approx 14,500 cy of cut and fill, balanced on-site, to allow tracker installation to meet slope tolerances. Existing roads would be utilized to access the project site with interior roads developed as part of the solar array installation. Aggregate base access roads would be graded and developed within the project footprint to allow fire department and maintenance access to all required electrical equipment, which would be mounted on concrete pads near tracker arrays. Operationally, grass would be free to grow with infrequent vegetation abatement as required by the County Fire Dept. A total of 20 mature and multiple-trunk coast live oak trees are proposed for removal. Access would continue to be provided by existing oil field roads. The oilfield is fenced, gated and is not open to the public. The property is a 4,024.7-acre parcel zoned AG-II-100 and shown as APN 101-020-074, located at 1555 Orcutt Hill Rd in the Santa Maria area, Fourth Supervisorial District.

Santa Maria

Santa Barbara

Air Resources Board, Major Industrial Projects, Cal Fire, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, South Coast Region 5 (CDFW), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Transportation, District 5 (DOT), California Energy Commission, California Highway Patrol, California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Coast Region 3 (RWQCB), California State Lands Commission (SLC), Department of Toxic Substances Control, Resources Agency, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, California Department of Conservation (DOC)

California Department of Conservation (DOC)

Industrial (Acres 18.76, Employees 0)

Use Permit

Aesthetics, Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Drainage/Absorption, Geology/Soils, Hydrology/Water Quality, Land Use/Planning, Vegetation, Wetland/Riparian, Wildfire, Wildlife