Discovery Solar PV and Storage Project by Discovery Solar PV and Storage, LLC
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Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.
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The Discovery Solar PV and Storage Project proposes the development of a large-scale renewable energy facility in southeast Kern County, designed to generate up to 1,400 megawatts of solar power with an associated 1,000 megawatt energy storage capacity, covering approximately 7,700 acres across 473 privately owned parcels. The project requires extensive zoning changes to convert land currently classified as Limited Agriculture or residential suburban estates into Exclusive Agriculture districts to accommodate solar infrastructure. Multiple conditional use permits are sought to authorize construction and operation of solar arrays in four distinct zones ranging from 150 to 550 megawatts each, along with temporary staging areas for construction equipment. Zone variances are requested for approximately 446 parcels that fall well below the 20-acre minimum parcel size requirement, allowing the solar project to proceed on smaller, fragmented land parcels. General plan amendments are necessary to eliminate future road reservations across dozens of section and mid-section lines, clearing land for solar installation and transmission infrastructure. Additionally, 16 vesting tentative parcel maps are submitted to consolidate hundreds of individual parcels into fewer, larger parcels through mergers and subdivisions, enabling more efficient land use and infrastructure placement; several of these also seek development variations to reduce required access easement widths from 40 to 30 feet to accommodate project constraints. The project is led by Discovery Solar PV and Storage, LLC, with coordination through Kern County’s planning department and technical oversight from Terra-Gen, targeting operations to support California’s renewable energy goals on undeveloped agricultural land.
General Info
Discovery Solar proposes 1,400 MW solar with 1,000 MW storage on 7,700 acres via zoning changes, parcel consolidations, and variances in Kern County.
Agency
California → Kern County
NAICS
237130 - Power and Communication Line and Related Structures ConstructionView NAICS
Place of Performance
Tehachapi Willow Springs Road and LADWP Aqueduct, Mojave, CA, 93560Set-Aside
NONE
Timeline
1 update
Organization & Contact Information
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AgencyCalifornia → Kern County
Contacts2 people available
OfficeN/A
Organization / Agency
California → Kern County
Office AddressN/A
Contacts
Full Description
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The proposed Discovery Solar PV and Storage Project is a photovoltaic (PV) solar facility with associated infrastructure necessary to generate up to 1,400 megawatts (MW) of renewable electrical energy with up to 8 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of energy storage capacity (approximately 1,000 MW) on an approximate 7,700 acre project site, across 473 privately owned parcels, in an unincorporated area of southeastern Kern County.
A 13.8-acre portion of an additional parcel located adjacent to the southern portion of the project site is proposed for a temporary, off-site construction laydown yard to supplement proposed laydown areas within the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) boundaries of the solar arrays. An additional approximate 411 acres on six (6) parcels are allotted for the proposed medium-voltage (MV) transmission and access easement. PV solar panels, a power collection system, including MV lines that connect the solar facilities, inverters, a switchyard, foundations, and transformers will be installed onsite.
Associated project infrastructure includes an operations and maintenance (O&M) facility, telecommunication facilities, energy storage system(s), two onsite collector substations, and temporary laydown yards. The proposed project also includes a generation-tie (gen-tie) line to connect the project to the existing Windhub Substation.
Implementation of the project as proposed includes the following land use entitlement requests:
Zone Change
(a) Zone Classification Change No. 56, Map 197 from A-1 (Limited Agriculture) to A (Exclusive Agriculture) on approximately 357.88 acres, A-1 FP (Limited Agriculture, Floodplain Combining) to A FP (Exclusive Agriculture, Floodplain Combining) on approximately 10.02 acres, A-1 (Limited Agriculture) and A-1 FP (Limited Agriculture, Floodplain Combining) to A FP (Exclusive Agriculture, Floodplain Combining) on approximately 170.27 acres, A-1 (Limited Agriculture) and A-1 WE (Limited Agriculture, Wind Energy Combining) to A (Exclusive Agriculture) and A WE (Exclusive Agriculture, Wind Energy Combining) on approximately 449.33 acres, for a total of approximately 987.5 acres;
(b) Zone Classification Change No. 71, Map 198 from A-1 (Limited Agriculture) to A (Exclusive Agriculture) on approximately 80.26 acres, E(2.5) RS (Estate 2.5 acres, Residential Suburban Combining) to A (Exclusive Agriculture) on approximately 10 acres, E (20) RS (Estate 20 Acres, Residential Suburban Combining) to A (Exclusive Agriculture) on approximately 493.64 acres, A WE (Exclusive Agriculture, Wind Energy Combining) and E (20) RS (Estate 20 Acres, Residential Suburban Combining) to A WE (Exclusive Agriculture, Wind Energy Combining) on approximately 40.01 acres, and A (Exclusive Agriculture) on approximately 40 acres, for a total of approximately 623.91 acres;
(c) Zone Classification Change No. 29, Map 214 from E (2.5) RS (Estate 2.5 Acres, Residential Suburban Combining) to A (Exclusive Agriculture) on approximately 150.7 acres, PL RS (Platted Lands, Residential Suburban Combining) to A (Exclusive Agriculture) on approximately 308.69 acres, PL RS FP (Platted Lands, Residential Suburban Combining, Floodplain Combining) to A FP (Exclusive Agriculture, Floodplain Combining) on approximately 170.39 acres, for a total of approximately 629.78 acres;
(d) Zone Classification Change No. 16, Map 215 from PL RS (Platted Lands, Residential Suburban Combining) to A (Exclusive Agriculture) on approximately 111.71 acres.
Conditional Use Permit
(a) Conditional Use Permit No. 22, Map 197, to allow for the construction and operation of a solar facility up to 200 MW and associated infrastructure, including energy storage and a switchyard, and temporary construction staging and equipment storage on approximately 811.23 acres in an A (Exclusive Agriculture) District, pursuant to Chapter 19.12.030.G and 19.12.030.K of the Kern County Zoning Ordinance.
(b) Conditional Use Permit No. 47, Map 198, to allow for the construction and operation of a solar facility up to 150 MW and associated infrastructure, including energy storage and temporary construction staging, on approximately 721.65 acres in an A (Exclusive Agriculture) District, pursuant to Chapter 19.12.030.G and 19.12.030.K of the Kern County Zoning Ordinance.
(c) Conditional Use Permit No. 50, Map 214, to allow for the construction and operation of a solar facility up to 550 MW and associated infrastructure, including energy storage and temporary construction staging and equipment storage, on approximately 3,164.18 acres in an A (Exclusive Agriculture) District, pursuant to Chapter 19.12.030.G and 19.12.030.K of the Kern County Zoning Ordinance.
(d) Conditional Use Permit No. 19, Map 215, to allow for the construction and operation of a solar facility up to 500 MW and associated infrastructure, including energy storage and temporary construction staging and equipment storage, on approximately 2,773.09 acres in an A (Exclusive Agriculture) District, pursuant to Chapter 19.12.030.G and 19.12.030.K of the Kern County Zoning Ordinance.
General Plan Amendment (Circulation)
(a) General Plan Amendment No. 18, Map 197, to remove future road reservations on section and mid-section lines within the project boundary as called for within the Circulation Element of the Kern County General Plan.
(b) General Plan Amendment No. 5, Map 198, to remove future road reservations on section and mid-section lines within the project boundary as called for within the Circulation Element of the Kern County General Plan.
(c) General Plan Amendment No. 10, Map 214, to remove future road reservations on section and mid-section lines within the project boundary as called for within the Circulation Element of the Kern County General Plan
(d) General Plan Amendment No. 7, Map 215, to remove future road reservations on section and mid-section lines within the project boundary as called for within the Circulation Element of the Kern County General Plan.
Zone Variance:
(a) Zone Variance No. 20, Map 197, to authorize multiple parcels of substandard size where a minimum of 20 acres is required for each change in base zoning from the A-1 (Limited Agriculture) District to the A (Exclusive Agriculture) District across approximately 92.21 total acres .
(b) Zone Variance No. 36, Map 198, to authorize multiple parcels of substandard size where a minimum of 20 acres is required for each change in base zoning from the A-1 (Limited Agriculture) District or the E(20) (Estate - 20 acres) District to the A (Exclusive Agriculture) District across approximately 210.38 total acres
(c) Zone Variance No. 15, Map 214, to authorize multiple parcels of substandard size where a minimum of 20 acres is required for each change in base zoning from the PL (Platted Lands) District to the A (Exclusive Agriculture) District across approximately 89.79 total acres.
(d) Zone Variance No. 3, Map 215, to authorize multiple parcels of substandard size where a minimum of 20 acres is required for each change in base zoning from the PL (Platted Lands) District to the A (Exclusive Agriculture) District across approximately 10.12 total acres.
Offsite Features:
(a) Conditional Use Permit No. 51, Map 214, to allow for a temporary, offsite construction laydown area on approximately 13.7 acres of a 30.21 acre parcel in the A (Exclusive Agriculture) District.
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