The news is expected to be part of a couple of splashy announcements by Mayor Brent Ives at Tuesday's State of the City address.
The agreement is in the hands of attorneys for the city as well as of GWF Energy, which plans to build the solar farm to help drive turbines once it gets approval to rebuild the Tracy Peaker Plant and run it full time, said Tracy City Manager Leon Churchill. The proposed solar farm is expected to be added to its peaker plant application now in the hands of the California Energy Commission.
Tracy acquired the 200 acres that was once an antenna farm in 2004 through an act of Congress. The land had been owned by the federal General Services Administration, which gave Tracy 150 acres and sold the other 50 for $50,000 per acre, with the stipulation that the land be used for recreation or education.
Now that it will be used for neither, finalizing the deal will take another act of Congress — which could take place in the fall — spearheaded by Sen. Dianne Feinstein and supported by Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton.
On March 3, Tracy sent a letter to the energy commission supporting the peaker plant application, touting the money GWF has given local charities, the amount of jobs construction will create and “environmental improvements” from the rebuilt peaker plant.
Once rebuilt, the plant will produce less smog per kilowatt of electricity generated than the part-time plant now creates, though GWF will have a permit to generate 53 times more smog overall than it does now.
Churchill said the solar farm will produce 300 construction jobs in addition to the 400 jobs remodeling the peaker plant is expected to create.
The exact amount of the deal has yet to be released, though Churchill said GWF would lease 150 acres and buy 50. Councilman Steve Abercrombie said the deal could be in the $1 million range.
The cash will help as the city tries to pare down its projected $9 million budget deficit this year.
“We’re going to do fine,” Churchill said.
The article already answered your question about how much was paid for the property. Without the investment this property would not have been available for the GWF solar farm. The city spent the money to remove the utility poles that were on the property when they acquired it from Congress back in 2004.
St Mary's doesn't offer an MBA in Tracy, CA anymore because of the economy so any plan for a College Consortium would have to wait. There is another article about the West side of Tracy and how the city is constructing it to get ready for projects like Gateway, when the economy picks up.
Ask any turtle in the Mojave. Whe she finds shade under a solar panel. They will absolutely love the cool solitude and peace from the triple-digit, desert, heatwaves.
I don't believe in fairy tales.
In fact.
It just so happened the Sierra Club opposed the solar farm in the Mojave Desert.
Tracy Resident
and
Once rebuilt, the plant will produce less smog per kilowatt of electricity generated than the part-time plant now creates, though GWF will have a permit to generate 53 times more smog overall than it does now.
"Churchill said the solar farm will produce 300 construction jobs in addition to the 400 jobs remodeling the peaker plant is expected to create."
These caught my attention, glad to see they want to see solar farm built, and reduce the pollution in the air.
What will the special interest say to this?
A Technical Campus in teaching modern technology and the maintenance of solar farm, parts and so on would be nice.
Good luck.
CN
ANY news on Holly Sports Park??? Shelved?
As for a sports park...yes, it does good...but we have a lovely sports park on 11th. Why do I rarely see anything but the soccer fields in use? There are 4 baseball diamonds, and maybe I'm driving by at the wrong times, but I rarely see the place full.
Right now...something that generates income and jobs...is a lot more important in my book. Look at the great ballplayers that come from the Dominican Republic and Cuba...they play on dirt with a piece of paper as a base...why do we need lush fields of newness here?
I'm still baffled over the fact that we built a school in the middle of nowhere...that is nothing but trailers at this point (Delta), we "need" a pool that should be at DisneyWorld it's so complex and fancy...yet we're laying of teachers like it's going out of style and nobodys buying houses out here. People aren't going to buy a house because the town has a pool and 2 sports parks...and if they do, then they probably did an interest-only loan and will be gone when it adjusts in 2 years. We need to make Tracy a town again...before we hurdle into mega-resort status.
If you look at the smoke stacks in the back ground, it will tell you how the city was run. With Smoke and Mirrors.
Where is the college consortium and where is Gateway?
Out, out, out!