Planning commission closes comment period on Coyote Creek draft EIR, directs staff to prepare final document

The Sacramento Planning Commission on April 14 acknowledged the close of the public comment period for the draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the proposed Coyote Creek Agrivoltaic Ranch project and voted to direct county staff to prepare a final EIR.

The project, described in the draft EIR as an approximately 200-megawatt alternating-current photovoltaic solar facility paired with a 100-megawatt alternating-current battery energy storage system (BESS) with a planned 35-year operational life, would occupy roughly 2,700 acres along Scott Road (the Barton Ranch site), with about 1,400 acres occupied by photovoltaic arrays, staff said. The DEIR identifies potentially significant and unavoidable impacts to aesthetics, biological resources and tribal cultural resources, and the public review period was extended to May 5, 2025.

Why it matters: The project pits local renewable-energy goals and grid-interconnection considerations against concerns from tribes and environmental groups about irreversible damage to oak woodlands, sensitive species and cultural resources. The commission’s action authorizes staff to prepare responses to comments and a final EIR; it is not a decision to approve the project.

What the commission did: Planning staff presented the purpose of the hearing as an opportunity to receive oral comments on the draft EIR,…