Rancho Seco Solar II Project

The Rancho Seco Solar II Project, led by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), involves the development of a 150 MW photovoltaic solar energy facility on a decommissioned nuclear site in Galt, California, with an integrated battery energy storage system. The project’s environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) resulted in an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), which has since been supplemented by Addendum No. 1 to address minor but significant refinements, including a revised location for the battery energy storage system from the southeast to the north side of the decommissioned nuclear towers—an area previously outside the EIR’s study bounds. The addendum also evaluates the environmental effects of adding aboveground and underground collector lines and communication infrastructure. These changes were assessed to determine whether they introduce new or substantially more severe environmental impacts than those previously analyzed. The project is expected to operate for 30 to 35 years following a 13-month construction period initially scheduled between 2019 and 2020. SMUD serves as the lead agency, responsible for environmental compliance, permitting, and oversight, with the project subject to approved mitigation measures and findings of overriding considerations. Although the facility is developed through a third-party lessee, SMUD retains authority over environmental standards and regulatory approvals. The project’s scope centers on renewable energy generation and grid integration, with no formal contract value, pricing structure, or procurement terms disclosed in the available documentation. All referenced elements pertain exclusively to environmental documentation under CEQA with no identified federal acquisition clauses, delivery specifications, payment terms, inspection criteria beyond environmental compliance, contractor representations, or contractual performance metrics typically found in federal procurement contracts. The project remains governed solely by state-level environmental review processes, and all related information is accessible via SMUD’s public CEQA reports portal.