LAS CAMAS SOLAR PROJECT

The Las Camas Solar Project in western Merced County, California, involves the construction and operation of a 200-megawatt alternating current ground-mounted solar photovoltaic power plant. The facility includes solar PV panels with single-axis trackers, a lithium-ion battery energy storage system, a solar project substation, a 230-kV gen-tie line, and a supervisory control and data acquisition system. As part of the infrastructure, the project includes the construction of a 20-foot wide and 96-foot long culverted road crossing within an unnamed stream, authorized under Streambed Alteration Agreement EPIMS-61527-R4 pursuant to Section 1602 of the Fish and Game Code. The project is subject to strict environmental compliance and mitigation measures overseen by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. This includes an Incidental Take Permit for the protection of state-threatened species such as the San Joaquin kit fox, Swainson's hawk, and western burrowing owl under the California Endangered Species Act. To offset the impact on 1,269 acres of habitat, the project provides for the permanent conservation of 2,048 acres of high-quality occupied habitat, supported by a CDFW-approved monitoring program and adaptive management plan. Formal determinations confirm that the project will not have a significant environmental effect within the jurisdiction of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.