- Roy Siañez
- roy.sianez@asm.ca.gov
SACRAMENTO, CA — Today, Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria announced that her bill, Assembly Bill 2661 was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom. AB 2661 advances clean energy development projects in the Central Valley while minimizing the negative impacts scarce water supplies have on farmworker communities and farmers who drive the region’s agricultural economy. The bill authorizes projects to convert fallowed farmland to solar farms which will create jobs, help farmworkers retrain and transition into skilled trades and spur economic development.
“As the daughter of farmworkers, I know first-hand how much Central Valley families rely on a thriving agricultural economy for their livelihoods,” said Assemblywoman Soria. “AB 2661 better positions the Central Valley to play a larger role in helping our state meet our ambitious clean energy goals, while finding productive solutions for water constrained lands and ensuring our farmworkers are not left behind.”
Specifically, AB 2661 would authorize Westlands Water District – an agricultural water district serving farmers and rural communities on the west side of Fresno and Kings Counties – to broaden its current abilities to oversee energy projects to include the generation, storage, and transmission of solar energy. The new law will help California achieve its climate goals while simultaneously providing an incredible opportunity to uplift disadvantaged communities in places like west Fresno County where the need for skilled and well-paying jobs is critical.
“We recognize the significant impacts of our changing climate and stand ready to help the state meet our renewable clean energy goals,” saidAllison Febbo, General Manager, Westlands Water District. “We are grateful for Assemblywoman Soria’s leadership in recognizing water districts can play a significant role in generating renewable solar power, especially in the Central Valley where fallowed land needs to be repurposed for productive use.”
The bill also directs Westlands Water District to develop a community benefits plan with input from local communities. The Westlands Water District Board of Directors recently adopted a resolution outlining its commitment to adopting a community benefits plan.
“The City of Mendota is grateful to Assemblywoman Soria for ensuring a community benefits plan was included in AB 2661, saidVictor Martinez, Mayor, City of Mendota. “We look forward to working closely with Westlands Water District to develop a robust community benefits plan to meet the needs of our community.”
“The Central Valley is poised to play a key role in California’s clean energy production, and AB 2661 brings a vital partner to the equation,” said Bob Dean, Business Manager, IBEW Local 1245. “AB 2661 is a pathway to future projects in the Central Valley creating opportunities to not just generate more clean energy but create hundreds of new clean energy jobs as well.”
###