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Planning commission grants two-year extension for Firestone Walker Brewery solar phase 2
Summary
The Planning Commission unanimously approved a two-year time extension for entitlements tied to Firestone Walker Brewery’s phase 2 ground-mounted solar project (1.2 MW on ~4.84 acres) after the applicant cited multi-year PG&E interconnection delays.
The El Paso de Robles Planning Commission on July 8 approved a two-year extension of entitlements for the Firestone Walker Brewery Phase 2 solar project, allowing more time for the developer to complete utility interconnection studies and obtain outstanding permits.
Staff told the commission the time extension applies to the plan development permit and conditional use permit associated with the Phase 2 installation — described in staff materials as a 1.2-megawatt ground-mounted single-axis tracker system on about 4.84 acres. Staff reported no changes to the approved plans or to the applicable General Plan or zoning since the original approvals and recommended the requested two-year extension. The project’s environmental review remains a mitigated negative declaration and staff cited CEQA Guidelines Section 15162 related to no substantial changes in circumstances affecting environmental conclusions.
Andy Safranco, Vice President of Engineering for REC Solar, the project developer, told commissioners the request stemmed from lengthy delays on the utility side. “These studies are supposed to take 60 to 90 business days, and this took around 2 years for us to get this project fully studied,” Safranco said, citing systemic delays after changes to PG&E’s interconnection/ tariff processes. He said the project team has since signed an interconnection agreement and holds a current building permit and grading permit; he told the commission he expects the project to move forward within the extended period.
Commissioners had brief questions about the cause of the delay and project readiness; Safranco described the utility impact study and interconnection process timeline and stated the team had a path to permit resolution. There were no public comments.
Commissioner Neal moved to adopt the staff resolution granting the two-year extension; Commissioner Kogler seconded. The motion passed 4-0 (Neal, Kogler, Connolly and Chairperson Marlow voting aye). Staff will record the extension and the applicant will continue interconnection and permitting work under the previously approved mitigation measures and conditions.
Project identifiers and technical details were presented in staff materials as Plan Development Permit 22-21 and Conditional Use Permit 22-21, time extension request TE-25-03; the agenda item header listed P22-0128. The applicant and staff referred repeatedly to PG&E interconnection studies and an executed interconnection agreement as the primary schedule driver.
Next steps: the extension preserves the project’s entitlements while REC Solar completes utility approvals and finalizes construction permits. The Planning Commission’s action documents the extended timeline and preserves the previously adopted environmental mitigations and permit conditions.
