California Flats Solar Project

{{Short description|Photovoltaic power station in California, US}}

{{Infobox power station

| name = California Flats Solar Project

| name_official =

| image =

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| coordinates = {{coord|35|53|N|120|24|W|region:US-CA_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| country = United States

| location = Monterey County, California

| status = complete

| construction_began = 2016

| commissioned = April 2019

| decommissioned =

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| owner = Capital Dynamics

| operator =

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| solar_type = PV

| ps_units_operational =

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| ps_site_area = {{convert|2900|acre|ha|0}}

| ps_electrical_capacity = 280 MW_AC (when completed)

| ps_electrical_cap_fac =

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}}

The California Flats Solar Project is a 280 megawatt (MW_AC) photovoltaic power station on Hearst Communications' Jack Ranch in the Cholame Hills area of southeastern Monterey County, California, near the San Luis Obispo, Kings, and Fresno County borders in Central California.{{cite web |url=http://www.firstsolar.com/en/Resources/Projects/California-Flats |title=First Solar: California Flats}}

The project was financed by California Flats Solar LLC, a subsidiary of First Solar, and will use the company's thin-film technology. Construction began in 2016.{{cite news |url=http://www.ksbw.com/news/solar-project-developers-hiring-for-300-jobs/36818878 |title=Solar project developers hiring for 300 jobs |publisher=KSBW.com |date=December 5, 2015}}{{cite web |url=http://www.firstsolar.com/-/media/First-Solar/Project-Documents/CAFlats_03391_DS_NA.ashx |title=California Flats Solar Project Datasheet |publisher=First Solar}} The project was sold to Swiss asset-management outfit Capital Dynamics in August 2017.{{cite news |url=http://solarindustrymag.com/first-solar-closes-sale-california-flats-project/ |title=First Solar Closes Sale of California Flats Project |publisher=SolarIndustryMag.com |date=August 22, 2017 |access-date=January 31, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190201180409/https://solarindustrymag.com/first-solar-closes-sale-california-flats-project/ |archive-date=February 1, 2019 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.montereyherald.com/business/20170823/first-solar-sells-its-280mw-project-in-southern-monterey-county-to-swiss-based-company |title=First Solar sells its 280mw project in southern Monterey County to Swiss-based company|date=2017-08-23|website=Monterey Herald|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-09}} The first 130 MW of production went online in November 2017 and the projected was completed in spring 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hearst.com/about/being-green |title=Being Green {{!}} Hearst|website=www.hearst.com|access-date=2020-02-09}}

The plant has two power purchase agreements: Apple Inc. has a 25-year deal for 130 MW to power its California operations, and Pacific Gas and Electric Company is purchasing 150 MW.{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-cook-idUSKBN0LE2RN20150211 |title=Apple in big solar power deal, market cap closes over $700 billion |publisher=Reuters |author1=Christina Farr |author2=Nichola Groom |date=February 10, 2015 |access-date=June 30, 2017 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924213300/http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/11/us-apple-cook-idUSKBN0LE2RN20150211 |url-status=live }} Apple installs a 60 MW storage facility at the site.{{cite web |last1=O'Kane |first1=Sean |title=Apple will use Tesla's 'megapack' batteries at its California solar farm |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/31/22360839/apple-tesla-megapack-energy-storage-grid-solar-batteries |website=The Verge |language=en |date=31 March 2021}}