Panel installation at California Valley Solar Ranch is complete

Owners and operators of the 250-megawatt California Valley Solar Ranch in eastern San Luis Obispo County have announced that they have installed the final solar panels at the facility.

In the coming months, the photovoltaic plant will be fully commissioned and generating enough power for approximately 100,000 homes in PG&E’s territory, plant owners NRG Energy recently announced.

Construction started in September 2011, and the project has created more than 350 construction jobs and provided an economic boost to the regional economy. The plant is one of two solar facilities under construction in California Valley north of the Carrizo Plain National Monument.

The other plant is the 500-megawatt Topaz Solar Farm owned by MidAmerican Solar. That company recently announced that it has set up a 24-hour hotline where the public can submit comments and suggestions or file a complaint with Topaz Solar Farm’s management. That number is 855-414-8729.

This story was originally published July 9, 2013 at 4:40 PM with the headline "Panel installation at California Valley Solar Ranch is complete."