Solano 5 Wind Repower Project

As part of our commitment to provide safe and reliable, carbon-free energy, we're proposing to repower a portion of our Solano Wind Farm by replacing older wind turbines with fewer, more efficient turbines. 

The Solano 5 Wind Repower Project would replace 29 wind turbines with 21 new turbines and deliver 94.5 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy.

10 wind energy facilities, including ours, operate in the Solano wind resource area. The wind resource area has a long and continued history of farming and ranching.

The project would provide:

  • A low-cost renewable energy resource to help reach our Zero Carbon Plan goals.
  • A reduction of 8 turbines from the increased efficiency in the new turbines.
  • Generation of more than 327 GWh (gigawatt hours) of renewable energy annually, an 82% increase in energy currently generated.
  • Continued production of renewable energy from the wind farm for another 30-35 years.
  • Local, high-paying jobs and economic benefits to the Solano community.
  • Long-term viability of agricultural use within the Montezuma Hills.

Activities and location

The Solano Wind Farm is located on 6,000 acres of land in the Montezuma Hills Wind Resource Area in Solano County. The Solano 5 Wind Repower project area is located on a 1,200-acre portion of this land south of the intersection of Toland Lane and Montezuma Hills Road.

Vicinity map

Solano 5 project vicinity map

Detailed map

Solano 5 detailed map

The new Solano 5 Wind turbines will have a 163-meter blade diameter, and each would produce 4.5 MW of power. The electricity generated will bring our wind farm’s production to 308 MW and contribute to the State of California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard and our 2030 Zero Carbon Plan.

Anticipated activities include:

  • Removal of 29 existing wind turbines.
  • Repowering of 21 new, more efficient wind turbines.
  • Modifications to our existing Russell Substation at the Solano Wind Farm to interconnect the new wind turbines and improve reliability.

  • Modifications to the project site access roads and installation of collection lines to support the new turbines.
  • Removal of approximately 6 miles of overhead power lines from existing and past wind projects. New underground power cables will be installed for added reliability and reduced fire risk.
  • Transportation of large turbine parts will be on existing public and private roads from the Port of Stockton to the project site.

Timeline

Construction is expected to begin in 2028 and the new turbines are expected to be operational by mid-2029.

We’re currently in the project development stage, which includes feasibility analysis, land acquisition, permitting and utility interconnection planning.

Community

SMUD is a long-standing member of the Solano County community, and we're committed to working closely with stakeholders and residents to minimize any project impacts.

As a member of the area Chamber of Commerce, we continue to work with our partners to support community efforts, events, agriculture and land conservation to benefit the region. We'll continue to share information and hold community meetings during critical phases of the project to keep the community informed and provide opportunities for input.

What are the environmental considerations?

We prepared a Notice of Preparation (NOP) for interested individuals and public agencies to provide input on the scope of the environmental information to be considered in the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the project. The EIR analyzes all potentially significant environmental impacts associated with the construction and operation of the project, identifies mitigation measures for reducing or avoiding impacts and provides project alternatives to reduce or avoid environmental impacts.

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Section 15082), requires this NOP to provide responsible agencies and other interested parties with information describing the proposed project and its potential environmental impacts. The NOP is available to view here or you may view printed copies during normal business hours at these locations:

  SMUD Customer Service Center
6301 S Street 
Sacramento, CA 95817 

  SMUD East Campus Operations Center
4401 Bradshaw Road
Sacramento, CA 95827  

Questions?

Please email Solano5Wind@smud.org.