Fresno County’s west rural communities of Cantua Creek, El Povernir, and Five Points are at the epicenter of California’s clean energy transition and the world’s largest solar project.
The California Energy Commission (CEC) last month approved the Darden Clean Energy Project (DCEP), the first project under the state’s Opt-In Certification program.
The project will be the largest battery energy storage system in the world once it is built and will support the state’s progress to 100 percent clean electricity, according to state officials.
Projects seeking approval through the Opt-In Certification program are required to provide community and economic benefits agreements. Environmental justice groups had raised concerns whether the transition from agriculture to energy production would be equitable for the communities’ residents.
Enviromental advocates said the residents in the communities neighboring the project already face challenges such as undrinkable and unaffordable water, extreme heat, and historical disinvestment.
“We think clean energy is what we need. However, the way how you go into that transition and looking at the local impacts of those projects is something that we need to keep at the core of things,” said Nayamin Martinez executive director with the Central California Environmental Justice Network.
The approval of the solar project creates a precedent for the numerous other programs and projects what will be coming to the Valley, Martinez said.
The residents of the three predominantly Latino farmworkers communities formed Comunidades de Westside to advocate for their health and well-being and ensure there are benefits coming directly to their community from the nearby project.
Mariana Alvarenga, senior policy advocate with Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, said residents asked the CEC not to approve the project at its June 11 meeting until residents agreed on the community benefits agreement plan with the developer. The agreement has since been finalized but it is not yet public.
The energy project is the first one to be approved under Assembly Bill 205’s “opt-in” permitting process that fast-tracks renewable energy development. Enviromental reviews must be completed within 270 days from when the project application is deemed complete.
More than 20 organizations across California supported Comunidades de Westside’s priorities, which included dust mitigation measures and for traffic to be rerouted during the construction of the project, which is estimated to take three years.
In a May letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom, CEC commissioners and environmental justice advocates urged the state Energy Commission to ensure that the Darden Clean Energy Project invests in community priorities and mitigate the impacts on nearby disadvantaged communities.
The residents and the organizations demanded “a just transition that centers community voices.”
Martinez said having strong community benefit agreements allows those companies to “demonstrate that they are going to be good neighbors by treating the residents that will be more affected in a just way.”
The DCEP project will be located four miles northwest of Five Points and three miles southeast of Cantua Creek and Westside Elementary School.
The solar power plant will be built on 9,500 acres of land in unincorporated western Fresno County that is no longer able to support agricultural production. The land was owned by the Westlands Water District.
The project, owned by IP Darden I, LLC, a subsidiary of Intersect Power, includes a 1,150-megawatt solar facility with approximately 3.1 million solar panels and up to 1,150 megawatts of battery storage, enough to power 850,000 homes for four hours.
Construction is projected to begin at the end of 2025, with the facility becoming fully operational in late 2027 or early 2028.
The project will create over 1,200 jobs during its peak construction phase and approximately 16 full-time operational positions, according to Elizabeth Knowles, head of community engagement for Intersect Power.
According to state officials, some of the community and economic benefits that DCEP is required to provide under the Opt-In Certification program includes:
This month, Intersect Power partnered with Centro La Familia to distribute air conditioning units to community members in Five Points and Cantua Creek affected by high temperatures. Approximately 250 units were distributed at both events.
The initiative was in direct response to community requests to address concerns about lack of cooling as part of the Darden Community Benefits plan, Knowles said.
Margarita Rocha, executive director with Centro La Familia, said the response from the community at the events was overwhelmingly positive.
CEC Commissioner Noemí Gallardo said the project “exemplifies a community-focused approach that advances the state’s energy goals while creating benefits for local workers and residents.”
Knowles said the project will commit $2 million over the first 10 years in direct community investments through our Community Benefits Plan, as well as $5 million over the lifetime of the project.
“Since 2023, we have had an ongoing commitment to being a strong partner to the region, working closely with local stakeholders to ensure the Darden Project delivers lasting benefits and truly elevates the communities closest to the site,” Knowles said.