New research from The Nature Conservancy in California (TNC) and ECOnorthwest shows that where California builds utility‑scale solar determines how fast projects move through permitting. Solar projects sited on lands already shaped by human activity face fewer hurdles than projects on undisturbed natural lands. Additionally, projects on Williamson Act lands1 face longer review timelines than projects on comparable, non-contracted lands. These insights point to a powerful opportunity: Aligning the state’s goals for clean energy, land use, groundwater sustainability and conservation can reduce permitting barriers and accelerate deployment of the new, affordable clean energy the state needs to achieve its goals. California has long been a national leader in clean energy, but meeting the state’s climate goals and rising energy needs requires an unprecedented expansion of utility-scale solar. While permitting requirements are critical to ensure environmental protection and community engagement, the pace of deployment is increasingly constrained by permitting complexity. To understand what drives permitting timelines, TNC analyzed over 15 years of permitting data from eight San Joaquin Valley counties to determine whether site conditions and project characteristics, such as size and land use designation, are associated with different permitting timelines. With flat landscapes, proximity to transmission corridors, large expanses of private land and significant agricultural land expected to retire under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)2, the San Joaquin Valley represents the past and future epicenter of California’s solar development. The resulting research, “The Pace of Solar Progress: How Preexisting Land Use Shapes Solar Permitting Timelines in California,” found that projects on already-altered lands move through permitting noticeably faster—regardless of project size—than projects on undisturbed natural lands, suggesting these landscapes generally present fewer ecological sensitivities and therefore fewer procedural hurdles. The study also found that projects on Williamson Act lands experience longer permitting timelines because counties have to make extra compatibility findings and, in some cases, navigate contract‑cancellation rules that don’t apply to other farmland. “We’re thrilled to be able to offer California policymakers a clear explanation of key drivers of solar permitting timelines and related recommendations to accelerate affordable clean energy responsibly,” said Marybeth Benton, Energy Project Director at The Nature Conservancy in California. “Many policymakers and clean energy advocates have suspected that the Williamson Act, while serving an important purpose overall, is delaying new projects on lands that can no longer be irrigated. Now we’ve been able to show that the state needs to align policies and incentives to get solar sited on land coming out of agricultural production. Additionally, the state should do everything it can to incentivize and remove barriers to solar development on other degraded lands, including ensuring ample transmission availability and streamlined permitting frameworks.” Other key findings include: Developers already prefer and seek permits on modified lands, with only 21% of permit applications occurring on undisturbed natural lands: This finding indicates that developers are aware of the permitting risks that come with siting on ecologically sensitive land and that solar development on degraded lands can be facilitated by removing complexity and barriers. Factors often assumed to slow down permitting do not show meaningful effects: Project size, distance to communities and permit application year do not meaningfully affect permitting timelines, suggesting that the clearest way to increase permitting speed and predictability is to improve policies and incentives to site projects on degraded lands. Uncertainty in utility-scale solar permitting drives risk for individual projects and challenges California’s ability to plan for the future. Reducing permitting uncertainty and improving siting policies and incentives will be necessary to achieve the buildout required for a reliable, decarbonized grid. Additionally, California has a timely opportunity to achieve its clean energy goals and support counties by establishing clear, voluntary pathways that align Williamson Act guidelines with groundwater-driven land retirement under SGMA. “California is a national and global leader in driving the urgently needed transition to a clean energy economy,” said Chuck Bonham, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy in California. “This study demonstrates that we can accelerate that transition and protect nature simply by using readily available information early in the project development process. California can secure a clean energy future without trading off places that are important for the plants and animals that also call the Golden State home.” The Pace of Solar Progress: How Preexisting Land Use Shapes Permitting Timelines for Utility-Scale Solar in California View the full report and executive summary here. 1 The Department of Conservation, that oversees the Williamson Act program, defines the program as: “[A program that] enables local governments to enter into contracts with private landowners for the purpose of restricting specific parcels of land to agricultural or related open space use. In return, landowners receive property tax assessments which are much lower than normal because they are based upon farming and open space uses as opposed to full market value.” 2 https://water.ca.gov/programs/groundwater-management/sgma-groundwater-management The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more resilient. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 83 countries and territories (39 by direct conservation impact and 44 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. For more news, visit our newsroom or follow The Nature Conservancy on LinkedIn.
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