Home Innovation Storage California Governor Newsom Fas...

California Governor Newsom Fast-Tracks 300MW Solar-Plus-Storage Project to Accelerate Clean Energy Growth

Storage

Business Honor
24 March, 2025

Streamlined approval for Cornucopia Hybrid Project sets a precedent for faster renewable energy development.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken steps to advance the construction of the 300MW Cornucopia Hybrid Project in Fresno County, a major step towards the development of the state's clean energy infrastructure. The project, which integrates 300MW of solar capacity and 300MW of energy storage, is one of several projects that are being fast-tracked as part of an initiative to advance renewable energy projects that will help California reach its ambitious targets of 90% clean electricity by 2035 and 100% by 2045.

The Cornucopia project, created by renewable energy innovator Baywa r.e., will be constructed on about 2,000 acres in southwest Fresno County. In a twist of fate, the project will also include 'dual-use' agriculture, where sheep grazing is allowed in tandem with the solar panels. This method not only promotes sustainable land use but also delivers ecological advantages like vegetation management and soil enrichment.

Governor Newsom utilized California's 2023 infrastructure package to accelerate the certification process of the Cornucopia project, avoiding time-consuming delays with standard permitting procedures. The project was formally certified on March 19, 2025, through Senate Bill 7 (SB 7), which allows the governor to accelerate clean energy projects. This will assist in avoiding months, or even years, of court delays generally related to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review process.

Baywa r.e. initially foresaw a building commencement in Q4 2027, and a commercial operations date in Q2 2030. These timelines may, however, be compressed by the hastened timetable resulting from Newsom's decision, although definitive new dates are yet to be established.

This quick response by Governor Newsom is a counterpoint to recent regulatory evolution that has imposed increased scrutiny on big battery energy storage projects, such as new maintenance requirements introduced by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The Cornucopia Hybrid Project will benefit from these accelerated processes, ensuring that California remains on schedule to achieve its clean energy targets.