Sacramento County holds public scoping meeting for Coyote Creek agrivoltaic project EIR

Sacramento County Planning and Environmental Review and consultant AECOM held a public scoping meeting to gather comments for the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Coyote Creek Agrivoltaic Ranch Project, a 200-megawatt solar facility proposed on roughly 2,555 acres south of U.S. 50 near Rancho Marietta and adjacent to the Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area.

"The county has contracted with AECOM to prepare the environmental document for this project," said Lisonbee Little, an associate planner with Sacramento County Planning and Environmental Review. Little said the county released a Notice of Preparation and that the 30-day comment period closes on February 18 (year not specified in meeting materials). AECOM staff present included project manager Steven Smith and project director Matthew Gerken.

Gerken described the proposal as a utility-scale solar facility with a on-site substation, energy storage and a 1.3-mile off-site transmission line to tie into an existing SMUD facility. He said the project would include photovoltaic panels on tracking systems, power conversion stations, battery storage with about 400 megawatts of capacity as presented, meteorological towers, backup generators, internal access roads and fencing. The transmission line would be supported on roughly 150-foot poles and could require easement changes that affect a…