POWERING PROGRESS WITH PARTNERS

Golden State Clean Energy offers the best solution for buyers that need to quickly bring online renewable generation, such as CCAs, IOUs, POUs, and corporate customers. We are the right partner for project developers looking to pursue permit-ready and de-risked solar projects in California.

Worker installing or maintaining solar panels on a rooftop, wearing gloves and using a screwdriver.

CUSTOMERS

Golden State has an existing Memorandum of Understanding with Marin Clean Energy for a significant solar-plus-storage project.

The MOU includes up to 400 MW each of solar and battery storage (4-hour or 8-hour systems), planning for a commercial operation date in 2028-2030. MCE’s project will generate enough electricity to power over 160,000 homes each year.

Golden State is currently pursuing a range of customer deals and offtake agreements.

A tractor harvesting hay in a field at sunset.

LANDOWNERS

Golden State is ready to partner with landowners in the Central Valley looking at pursuing onsite renewable energy project opportunities. 

Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan will repurpose impaired agricultural land, improving water efficiency, reducing dust, and creating sustainable economic uses for otherwise fallowed lands. 

With increasingly unreliable water supplies, drought-depleted groundwater basins, and restrictive water use mandates under the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, the San Joaquin Valley region needs this alternate land use approach that pursues energy as a local industry that will provide significant jobs and economic benefits. 

A person wearing a white hard hat and a high-visibility safety vest inspecting a solar panel farm.

VENDORS

Golden State is ready to partner with renewable energy vendors and partners who deliver construction and equipment solutions for project deployment.

We recently executed an MOU with a Tier 1 equipment supplier to negotiate a strategic partnership to support the high-voltage transmission equipment that will be required for the Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan.

Three people wearing white safety helmets standing in front of solar panels, with one person explaining or pointing towards the solar panels.

LABOR

Golden State and its projects have earned strong support from labor.

For the Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan, we have already negotiated a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for the high voltage transmission system with IBEW 1245, as well as secured 4-trade PLAs for the generation projects. These PLAs can be adopted by developers who pursue individual solar + storage projects through the Golden State auction process.

Strong support from labor unions for the Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan emphasizes regional job creation, economic growth, and community benefits. Overall IBEW anticipates the Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan will result in 10,000 jobs, of which about 80% will be filled locally.

Farmer driving a tractor at sunset in a field.

LOCAL COMMUNITIES

The Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan provides economic opportunities for fallowed agricultural lands, which supports local communities in the Central Valley and fosters long-term farming solutions through balanced land use and sustainable water use.

The Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan will also bring significant economic and employment benefits to the region, with hundreds of millions in annual property tax revenue to support Fresno County and special districts.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

  • Golden State Clean Energy Delivers An Approach that is “Smart from the Start”

    “Master planning a large area for solar development provides environmental review at scale and sets the stage for individual projects to come online far quicker than they would with individual permitting. And locating the park in an area without resource conflicts means the environmental review also moves more quickly. This model is smart from the start siting, without a doubt.” - NRDC voices support for the master planned Westland Solar Park energy development model”

    - Read more on the NRDC website

  • Golden State Clean Energy Delivers An Approach that is “Smart from the Start”


    “Smart-from-the-start renewable energy development guides projects to low-value, low-conflict areas and degraded agricultural lands—aiming to avoid or minimize adverse impacts on wildlife, valuable agricultural lands, and high-value resource lands such as vernal pools, foraging habitat, riparian corridors and transitional biotic zones. This approach has two clear benefits: protecting vital natural resources and speeding up the permitting process for renewable energy projects.”

    Defenders of Wildlife report, “Central Valley Renewable Energy Project Recommendations for Implementing Smart from the Start Renewable Energy Siting”

  • Golden State Clean Energy Delivers An Approach that Reduces Transmission Congestion

    “It’s challenging to find large-scale projects with effective readiness, but the Central Valley offers one. The Westlands Water District is nearly done with environmental reviews for a transmission upgrade that would open the bottleneck preventing Northern California from tapping into cl­eaner energy. This project envisions new, environmentally friendly solar energy generation in California’s sun-rich Central Valley. Many of these lands are drainage-impaired and have unreliable surface water supplies, so they cannot be farmed. With construction led by Westlands, these upgrades would facilitate cheaper solar power and lower energy costs for Northern Californians . . . “ 

    - John McEntagart, Business Manager of IBEW Local 551, “Clearing a bottleneck to cheaper energy,” The Press Democrat

  • Golden State Clean Energy Delivers An Approach that Supports Farming Communities

     “AB 2661 better positions the Central Valley to play a larger role in helping our state meet our ambitious clean energy goals, while finding productive solutions for water constrained lands and ensuring our farmworkers are not left behind.” 

    - California State Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria 

  • Golden State Clean Energy Delivers An Approach that Supports Farming Communities

    “We recognize the significant impacts of our changing climate and stand ready to help the state meet our renewable clean energy goals. We are grateful for Assemblywoman Soria’s leadership in recognizing water districts can play a significant role in generating renewable solar power, especially in the Central Valley where fallowed land needs to be repurposed for productive use.”  

    - Allison Febbo, General Manager, Westlands Water District