A proposed solar power farm in Anaheim, pitched as a clean, cheap source of energy — and possibly the first in a wave of similar renewable power projects — is drawing mixed reviews from some people who would live closest to the project.
While larger solar farms have been built in desert areas of California and Nevada, among other spots, the proposal to put 110 arrays holding more than 7,000 solar panels on a 22.67-acre hillside east of Imperial Highway would likely be unique in mostly urban Orange County.
Planners in Anaheim are considering the idea, and could reach a decision within a year. If approved, the city utility would buy electricity generated by the farm and feed it back into the power grid. As proposed, the project would generate 3 megawatts of power for Anaheim residents and businesses, enough to power about 2,000 homes.
Mark Foster, a partner with developer Anaheim Solar One LLC, noted that because locally produced energy generally is cheaper than other forms of energy, the project — south of Anaheim’s Crown Pointe neighborhood — could mean lower utility bills in Anaheim. Foster also said solar energy is silent and requires little maintenance once construction is complete. What’s more, solar energy could help reduce pollution and improve air quality.
The 110 units, called dual-axis trackers, each hold up to 90 photovoltaic panels and are mounted on towers that are about 10 feet high; the trackers can tilt like a satellite dish to follow the angle of the sun and reach a height of up to 35 feet, according to information Anaheim Solar One submitted to the city.
Foster said the company’s plans would preserve as much of the land’s current natural state as possible, and they call for planting new trees and landscaping between the project and nearby homes. He added that Anaheim Solar One also intends to work with the city and the property owner (the company is leasing the hillside) to improve and expand informal walking trails on the land.
City spokeswoman Lauren Gold said the solar farm is the first project pitched in Anaheim under a state program aimed at encouraging small, renewable energy projects. And state data shows it may be one of the only commercial utility-scale solar projects in Orange County, where solar panels on homes and school carports are plentiful but typically don’t generate enough power to be considered utility-scale.
While the Anaheim Hills project wouldn’t be a huge part of Anaheim’s power portfolio, every renewable watt counts toward the city’s long-term effort to meet a state-mandated goal of becoming carbon neutral (no fossil fuels) by 2045. Gold said about one third of the city’s power now comes from renewable sources, such as wind, solar and geothermal, with solar supplying about about 8% of the overall power load.
Because of California’s ambitious climate goals, Orange County and other built-out areas could see more non-carbon energy projects, said Shannon Eddy, executive director of the Large-Scale Solar Association, a trade group.
But there are natural limitations on where geothermal and wind power facilities can be built, she said. And with the building industry, industrial processes and transportation all moving toward electric power, “we’re going to need a lot of solar.”
Some people suggest building more rooftop solar panels, and Eddy said that would help. But, Eddy added, “the answer is we need it all” – with more solar panels on homes, on parking lot shade structures, and in community projects like the one proposed in Anaheim Hills.
Anaheim Solar One’s project is still the subject of environmental studies and will need a permit from the city before construction can begin.
That approval process includes public input, and some residents who live near the site say they plan to be speak up.
Kris Fulton, who has lived in the area for 12 years — and recently wrote about the solar farm on Facebook as a way to alert her neighbors — said she generally supports renewable energy and doesn’t necessarily oppose the solar farm. But she has questions about the proposal near her home and wants to see a robust, open discussion before any final decision is made.
Fulton moved to her neighborhood because it felt close to nature, and she said she enjoys biking and taking her grandson for hikes on the hillside where the solar project would go.
“We need to understand what it’s going to look like, how it would change our community,” Fulton said.
Jan Hoblik, who lives in the Crown Pointe neighborhood, the one closest to the proposed solar farm, has some objections to the project. His concerns led him to create a website with a petition opposing the project, which as of June 18 had 44 signatures.
Hoblik worries the solar array will hurt property values in the neighborhood by changing views and, he fears, reflecting heat into homes. He said he might be OK with the solar farm if it were smaller, and if the installations were farther from neighbors’ property lines. But, as proposed, he said “I think it’s the wrong place” for that type of project.
Foster said the solar panels will always face the sun and won’t reflect into homes. He also said the planned trees would block most or all of the solar array from the view of residents and passersby. The company has created a website, www.anaheimsolarone.com, to share information about the project, and Foster said officials will meet with neighbors as the project gets closer to a public hearing.
The permit process could take up to a year and, if approved, construction could start in fall 2022.
