ECOSLO Granted Request to Intervene in the Carrizo Energy Solar Farm Power Plant Licensing Case

ECOSLO's request to intervene in the licensing case for the Carrizo Energy Solar Farm Power Plant was granted by the California Energy Commission (CEC) on November 24.  ECOSLO sought to intervene in this precedent setting case out of concern for the project's potential to harm sensitive wildlife species and plant communities through habitat degredation, fragmentation and interference with wildlife movement.  ECOSLO is particularly concerned about this project's potential biological impacts because it is to be located in an area that contains a very high concentration of sensitive and protected wildlife species.  ECOSLO is also concerned about the project's potential groundwater, air quality, land use and visual impacts.

We believe in the necessity for the rapid development of renewable energy; we also believe that we need to carefully evaluate the appropriateness of the proposed sites for industrial facilities such as this power plant.  The CEC's draft renewable Energy Transmission Incentive Report identifies their preferred locations for renewable energy plants.  We are concerned that 76 of these locations are within San Luis Obispo County, twenty-two on the Carizzo Plains.  The heavy concentration of potential energy sites in our County makes this siting case truly precedent setting.  By fully participating in this siting process ECOSLO will voice local concerns to ensure that the CEC strikes an appropriate balance between conservation of sensitive resources and promotion of renewable energy. ECOSLO is represented by local attorney Babak Naficy.

For more info about this licensing case, please click here.