Panoche Valley Solar Farm

CountryUnited States

LocationPanoche Valley, San Benito County

Coordinates36°37′N 120°52′W / 36.62°N 120.87°W / 36.62; -120.87

StatusOperational

Panoche Valley Solar Farm
Country	United States
Location	Panoche Valley, San Benito County
Coordinates	36°37′N 120°52′W / 36.62°N 120.87°W / 36.62; -120.87
Status	Operational
Construction began	April 2016
Commission date	January 2018[1]
Construction cost	approximately $1 billion
Owners	Panoche Valley Solar, LLC.
Solar farm
Type	Flat-panel PV
Site area	1,300 acres (530 ha)
Power generation
Nameplate capacity	130 MW[2]
[edit on Wikidata]

Panoche Valley Solar Farm is a 130 megawatt (MW),^[2] utility-scale solar photovoltaic power station in the Panoche Valley of Central California's San Benito County.^[3] Panoche Valley is crossed by a 230-kilovolt (kV) power line from the Moss Landing Power Plant.^[3]

Originally proposed by Solargen Energy (later known as Nevo Energy),^[4][5] the project was purchased by PV2 Energy in April 2011, with Nevo Energy retaining a small equity interest, but no voting, governance or management input. In April 2012, PV2 Energy entered into a joint venture with Duke Energy, the largest utility in the United States. The project was eventually acquired by Con Edison in 2016.^[6]

The project site consists of 4,717 acres (1,909 ha) of private land in the northern portion of the valley. It is used for pasture-based livestock grazing on native grassland habitat.^[7] In October 2010, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors approved the company’s environmental impact report.^[8][9] Originally proposed at 399 MW, the cost was estimated at approximately $1 billion.^[10] The project faced lawsuits from three environmental groups who charged that project would harm native species such as the giant kangaroo rat, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, San Joaquin kit fox, and various bird species.^[6] The project was downsized to 247 MW and eventually 130 MW in 2017 after a settlement was reached.^[6][11] The plant started producing power in January 2018.^[1] RWE acquired Con Edison's clean energy business in 2023.^[12]