Developer’s Deals With Community Organizations Under Fire As Giant Solar Farm Moves Closer To Approval

Speaker 1: 00:00 Despite overwhelming community opposition, a 600 plus acre solar farm in the small town of Macumba is moving forward. The solar project would be the largest in San Diego county. After months of back and forth residents calls to decrease the size of the solar farm have largely gone unheated joining me now to talk about the project is I knew source reporter Comey Von canal. Thanks for joining the program Speaker 2: 00:23 Can be thanks. Okay. So in Speaker 1: 00:25 Case some of our listeners don't know of tacumba, can you tell us a little bit about Speaker 2: 00:29 It? Sure. So Kumba is a small town at the south Eastern corner of the county right next to the U S Mexico border. Um, it has around 500 people. Now it had 10 times that in its heyday a century ago, as a tourism destination for its hot Springs, and it's just a, a beautiful area with beautiful mountains and desert. So Speaker 1: 00:48 Early this month, the San Diego county planning commission voted five to two to recommend the county board of supervisors approve the solar farm project. How did the project that they recommend compared to what the developers were? Speaker 2: 01:00 Sure. So one of the main things to understand that's changed since the developers first proposed this project is that they've signed a contract to provide the power to the San Diego community power, which is a group that serves the coast, the cities along the coast with power. So that, that power that's going to be produced at the solar project has a destination. Now, the original proposal that the developers had in mind covered 643 acres in hook Kumba they voluntarily reduced it around 20 or so acres before bringing it to the planning commission and the county staff recommended a further reduction in size to around 604 acres. Um, the main difference there is that there would be a, uh, increased buffer between the homes and the community park and the solar panels themselves. So previously it was 30 feet. And the proposal that the San Diego county planning commission recommended for approval would have that buffer it's 300 feet, but the output remains the same, uh, in terms of the amount of electricity generated. Got it. And that's Speaker 1: 02:04 Still not what community members were really asking for. Right. What, what have they been advocating? Speaker 2: 02:09 Yeah, so it seems like most of the community has coalesced behind this alternate vision that would cut the project in half in size. So down to around 300 acres and that would leave space for the community to grow either residential or commercial development, sort of next to the town. And they also want a wildlife and hiking corridor and backup power for the community because they do experience shutoffs from a San Diego gas and electric during periods of high wind and fire risk. But the developer has said no to those things. Speaker 1: 02:46 Residents say that the project recommended by the planning commission doesn't provide the community with power or any other benefits, and actually only detracts from it. Like, as you're saying, the commission told the developers to work with the community on this, is that a common approach? Speaker 2: 02:59 Yeah. So these community benefits agreements are pretty common for developers, whether it's developers of renewable energy or housing or stadium, as we see it a lot with big projects like that, sometimes the agreements are championed by the community. And sometimes they're not. Um, an example of one of these benefits packages in the back country is that it individual or renewables committed more than 2.1 million to the community when it developed Tuli wind, which is a 57 wind turbines that you can see from [inaudible]. And so that money went to health programs, cultural preservation programs. Um, so that's an example of something that, that has taken place before, what community benefits have been agreed upon thus far? Yeah. So there's been two deals that have been signed between the developer of this solar project in her Kumba and local community organizations. One of them is a $250,000 deal with the hook Kumba community services district, which is the water utility in town. Speaker 2: 04:03 And it also owns the community park. So that money would go to improve that community park. The other deal that's been signed is with the Imperial valley desert museum and [inaudible], um, and that is worth $75,000 and it will go to a special exhibit, um, and also just general support, but there's a little bit of a catch to those benefits. Right? Right. So I read through the copy of the agreement with the combat community services district. And it includes a clause that requires the utility to support the project, to not challenge it, including in the form of a lawsuit and to S to pen a letter of support, if the developer asks, asks for that and the deal with the museum, um, also requires support. Although I haven't seen that specific language. Got it. Speaker 1: 04:52 And how has the community reacting to these proposals for community benefits? Speaker 2: 04:56 Yeah, so most of the most vocal critics are panning. The donations so far is just not good deals. So here, for example, is Jeffrey Osborne. And he owns the historic hotel and spa in town, Speaker 3: 05:10 A few hundred thousand dollars. Can't replace the future and hope of our community and the devastating effect. This is going to have on everybody here for generations to come. So what's next? Speaker 2: 05:24 Yeah. So the next immediate step is that it is scheduled to go before the board of supervisors on August 18th, and they will vote whether to approve the project or not. And then we'll see, there's been a lot of money spent on lawyers and consultants on both sides so far. And we'll, we'll keep an eye on it a lot to keep Speaker 1: 05:45 Following as this project moves forward. I've been talking with, I knew source reporter can me Von canal. Thank you. Thank you.