Two major solar energy projects in Riverside County are fully operational

Erin Rode, Palm Springs Desert Sun
·2 min read

Two major solar energy projects in eastern Riverside County are now fully operational, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced on Monday.

The Riverside County projects are two of 15 onshore clean energy projects that Haaland touted progress on during remarks at the Western Governors Association Winter Meeting on Monday, according to a press release from the Department of the Interior.

The Oberon Solar Project and the Arlington Solar Energy Center, both in eastern Riverside County, are both fully operational, according to the press release. Other projects highlighted on Monday included progress on permits for transmission lines across Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, an upcoming geothermal lease sale in Nevada, and progress on environmental reviews for seven solar projects across Arizona and Nevada.

The Biden Administration is targeting a goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035, and Congress has tasked BLM with permitting 25 gigawatts of solar, wind, and geothermal production on public lands by 2025. One gigawatt is enough energy to power about 750,000 homes. The Bureau of Land Management has approved 46 clean energy projects on about 35,000 acres of public lands since 2021, and the agency is currently processing applications for an additional 66 projects in the western U.S.

Here are the details on the two Riverside County solar projects.

Oberon Solar Project

The Oberon Solar Project is a 500-megawatt photovoltaic facility near Desert Center, which will include 250 megawatts of battery storage and will provide enough clean energy to power 146,000 Southern California homes, according to the Department of the Interior. The project has faced opposition from nearby residents.

The project sits on about 2,600 acres of BLM-managed public lands within the 2016 Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan, a 22.5 million-acre plan covering seven counties that identifies specific development focus areas for renewable energy, while also specifying which areas should be conserved for wildlife, recreation, cultural and other uses.

Arlington Solar Energy Center

The Arlington Solar Energy Center, located about 10 miles northwest of the city of Blythe, will generate 364 megawatts, enough energy to power 111,000 homes a year, and will also include 242 megawatts of battery energy storage.

The project was first permitted before the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan. The BLM permitted the project, along with the McCoy Solar Project, back in March 2013.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Two key Riverside County solar projects are now fully operational