Facing water uncertainties, Fresno County farmers seek the sun for new revenue | Opinion

Some Bee colleagues and I recently took a tour of Westlands Water District — the nation’s largest agricultural water district, located on the western edges of Fresno and Kings counties.

The district covers 1,000 square miles, and provides water to about 700 farms, with more than 50 different crops being grown, including almonds, pistachios, tomatoes, wheat, garlic, grapes and cotton. Westlands estimates its growers generate $4.7 billion in farm-related economic activity in Fresno and Kings counties.

The district says its growers produce more than 5% of the nation’s vegetables and melons and 3.5% of the nation’s fruits and nuts. They do this despite not having local surface-water supplies. Westlands growers rely on the federal Central Valley Project, which moves Sacramento River water from Northern California south, as well as pumping underground supplies.

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But facing the twin challenges of drought and new state restrictions on groundwater use, Westlands farmers and counterparts throughout the San Joaquin Valley are considering a new money maker for their land: solar power.

The Public Policy Institute of California estimates that between 500,000 to 900,000 acres of irrigated land in the Valley will become fallowed — left unplanted — over the next two decades because of water scarcity.

Rather than simply have bare ground sitting there earning nothing, Westlands growers like Woolf Farming are leasing their land to solar power companies.

Farm gets into solar

Woolf Farming began in 1974 near Huron. Today it is a third-generation business overseen by president-CEO Stuart Woolf. It enjoys prime soils, producing west-side staples like almonds, pistachios and tomatoes. But its water supply has limits.

So, 1,225 acres are now covered in solar panels. Of that, 25 acres supply power directly to the farming operation. The rest of the power that is generated goes into the statewide electrical grid.

Woolf declined to say how much the farm is making from leasing its land for solar use. “But I can say the return per acre is better than most returns in farming.”

Better still, the land gets used without needing any water for a crop, he pointed out.

Another 2,000 acres have been identified for future solar use, Woolf added.

Westlands sees solar go in

Westlands itself has sold 15,000 acres of land due to water supply constraints. Instead of crops, solar projects have gone in.

There is the Tranquillity project, spanning 3,500 acres on Fresno County’s west side and generating 400 megawatts. That much can power almost 300,000 homes. Not far away is the Scarlet Solar Energy Project. It too will generate 400 megawatts.

The Slate Solar Project in Kings County is on 400 acres, and will eventually cover 2,400 acres and generate 300 megawatts, enough energy for 225,000 homes. There are four other smaller projects between the two counties as well.

Then there is the Westlands Solar Park. Once it is completed by about 2030, the park in Kings County will be the largest solar-power facility in the nation, generating enough electricity to power 2 million homes from panels. Its 20,000 acres are between Lemoore Naval Air Station and Kettleman City, just west of Highway 41.

These are not the only solar projects in the Westlands district. Elizabeth Jonasson, deputy general manager for external affairs, said there are many developments on privately owned land as well.

Ryan Jacobsen, CEO of the Fresno County Farm Bureau, notes that leasing land for solar will work mostly for growers on the west side because of their proximity to electrical transmission stations that feed power into the statewide grid.

He added that some growers might be able to lease part of their land for solar, then take the water allocation for that property and use it on a crop grown somewhere else.

Valley critical to state’s energy future

To be sure, pressure to develop solar in the Valley will only heighten.

The Valley has been identified as one of the state’s best places for solar generation, given its abundant sunshine and land.

Then there is California Senate Bill 100, which was signed into law in 2018. It requires 100 percent of the electricity sold to California customers to come from renewable or zero-carbon resources by 2045.

Like everything they do, farmers will put solar-land leasing through a cost-benefit analysis. But don’t be surprised if your next drive into farmland reveals shiny black solar panels instead of grape vines or nut trees.