That 150 megawatts from wind and solar projects would be enough electricity to power about 32,000 average homes in California, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.
The commission held a third hearing Thursday on the new set of regulations intended to streamline construction of small-scale renewable energy projects in the county. The commission voted unanimously to approve the program and send it on to the Board of Supervisors for final approval.
“This will help in a small way to compete with carbon-based energy,” said Commissioner Ken Topping of Cambria. “I think it is essential to move ahead as quickly as possible.”
At Thursday’s hearing, the commission discussed details of a countywide Renewable Energy Streamlining Program that would make it easier to get permits for solar electric and wind energy projects in suitable locations in inland areas of the county.
Suitable projects include ground-mounted solar arrays, rooftop solar and wind facilities, solar-covered parking lots and small wind generators. The county estimates the program could result in 75 to 150 projects ranging in size from 1 to 2 megawatts spread over 1,500 acres in the county.
The goal of the program is to shorten the time it takes to get a small-scale renewable energy project through the permitting process, said Trevor Keith, county planning manager.
A 1-megawatt project typically takes a year to permit. However, no estimate of how much time could be saved in that process once the program is implemented has been developed, Keith said.
In order to identify locations suitable for renewable energy, planners surveyed the unincorporated areas of the county for regions with access to electrical infrastructure, such as transmission lines and substations, as well as those that are away from sensitive areas such as scenic vistas and habitat for rare or endangered species.
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