A massive and growing solar photovoltaic array in the Central Valley is now sending clean energy to most of Yolo County.
The Westlands Solar Park, being developed by Los Angeles-based CIM Group, has begun operation of Aquamarine, its 125-megawatt first phase of the development west of Fresno.
“Bringing clean solar power to California from Aquamarine is a major milestone in the realization of the full potential of our 20,000-acre Westlands Solar Park,” said Avi Shemesh, co-founder and principal of CIM Group, in a news release.
Some 50 megawatts of power from Westlands will go to Davis-based Valley Clean Energy Alliance, which is a community choice aggregation agency that supplies clean electric power to Davis, Woodland, Winters and unincorporated Yolo County. In February 2020, Valley Clean Energy signed up for the Westlands power in a 15-year contract that starts this year.
“As one of the largest solar projects in the U.S., Westlands Solar Park, at full build-out, will have the capacity to deliver 2.7 gigawatts of renewable energy, a substantial resource to utilities and businesses advancing their plans to reduce carbon emissions and meet California’s renewable energy goals,” Shemesh said.
The power from Aquamarine is connected to Yolo County through Pacific Gas & Electric Co.’s (NYSE: PCG) utility grid, which serves most of Yolo County.
Aquamarine’s second 125-megawatt phase will be complete and operational by year-end. CIM Group is currently negotiating additional power purchase agreements with other potential customers for Aquamarine electricity and for future phases at Westlands, CIM said.
At full build-out, Westlands Solar Park, which covers 20,000 acres, could produce 2.7 gigawatts of renewable energy, enough to power 1.2 million homes.
CIM is a real estate investment and development company that owns or operates nearly $29 billion in assets through hundreds of properties. Locally, CIM owns the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel and its parking structure in Downtown Sacramento. For years, CIM was seeking to build a 30-story retail, residential, office and parking structure at 301 Capitol Mall in Sacramento, but it ceased pursuing that project two years ago.
