DESERT CENTER — California officials and clean energy experts celebrated one of the state’s newest solar projects at a ribbon-cutting event Thursday, lauding the facility as an important step to meeting regional renewable goals while also balancing environmental conservation.  

The project — which is technically two, Victory Pass and Arica Solar + Storage — began operations in June. The projects consist of about 650 megawatts of combined solar and battery energy storage. That’s enough electricity to power over 205,000 homes annually. 

“Projects such as Arica and Victory Pass Solar + Storage exemplify the work towards California’s ambitious carbon reduction,” Leuwam Tesfai, deputy executive director for energy and climate policy for the California Public Utilities Commission, said during the event. “The past year has brought on a record amount of clean new megawatts to serve the grid.”

The projects are the first to be fully compliant with the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan, a collaborative initiative between federal and state agencies that aims to balance conservation and renewable energy development on more than 10.8 million acres of public lands in desert regions. 

The message the projects send is clear, said Steve Feldgus of the U.S. Department of the Interior during the event: “Economic growth and environmental stewardship can go hand in hand.”

The Victory Pass and Arica Solar project, for example, preserves 3,600 acres of critical habitat for desert tortoises and other sensitive species. That acreage is 40% larger than the project’s footprint. 

Rep. Raul Ruiz (CA-25), whose district includes the area, said the projects set a precedent for future development.   

“This is a very unique accomplishment that we’ve done here, because this has the endorsement of renewable energy companies, of utility companies, of tribes, of conservationists all working together,” he said during the event. 

He added that the project strikes a balance between local community issues and broader energy needs. 

“The overall benefits of transitioning from a fossil fuel economy to a renewable energy economy are beneficial for local communities, for all of our residents, because the I-10 is the most polluted area in the Coachella Valley, in the state,” Ruiz told The Record in an interview. 

However, the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan as well as other federal plans that open up desert regions for renewable energy developments, have been criticized by environmentalists who say such large-scale solar projects irrevocably damage local ecosystems, which include fragile habitats and are home to endangered species.

“We’re trying to solve one environmental problem by creating so many others,” Kevin Emmerich — who runs Basin & Range watch, a nonprofit that advocates to conserve deserts in Nevada and California — told The Guardian last year. 

Community impact 

In addition to energy and environmental benefits, officials said the project has and will continue to benefit local communities. For example, the project generated over 1,000 union jobs during construction and about a dozen permanent positions. 

Clearway Energy Group, the company behind the project, also announced a $35,000 donation to Desert Center Unified School District. The small, rural district covers one of the largest geographical areas of any district in the state but has less than 30 grade school students. 

Greg Sackos, the district’s superintendent and principal, told The Record that the funds would be used to upgrade the school’s playground equipment, which doesn’t currently have anything geared toward younger children. 

“Eagle Mountain schools, which we’ve adopted as part of our adoptive school program, are a representation of why we like to show up in communities,” Clearway CEO Craig Cornelius said during the event. “Our intent [is] to enable a future that’s brighter for students and a connection to resources that are going to be better for communities over time.”

Some locals, however, are not happy about the project — which represents the latest thread in a growing tapestry of solar projects in the area. 

Off the 10 Freeway in the area are dozens of signs that read, “Save Lake Tamarisk.” A GoFundMe organized by residents says the 150-space mobile home and RV resort is watching the surrounding natural environment disappear before its eyes as thousands of acres of solar panels are installed nearby, some located within several hundred feet of their homes. 

“We want to remain an Oasis Community in a Natural Desert Environment,” the GoFundMe reads. “We are not opposed to renewable energy, but communities like ours and others across the nation need a buffer zone to protect us from the solar panels, and a comprehensive plan for water and dust management.”