Coyote Creek Agrivoltaic Ranch

Project​ Summary​

​​​Project Location

​​The project site is generally south of U.S. Route 50, northwest of Rancho Murrieta, southeast of Prairie City State Vehicle Recreation Area (SVRA), and south of White Rock Road in the Cosumnes community. Specifically, it is on what is known as the “Barton Ranch” situated along Scott Road, adjacent to 3830 Scott Road.​​

Proposed Project​

The proposed request is to construct, operate, and ultimately decommission an approximately 200-megawatt (MW) alternating current photovoltaic solar energy generating facility and associated 4-hour/100 MW alternating current battery energy storage system (BESS). 

The project components would include an on-site substation, inverters, solar array, fencing, roads, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, gen-tie line, and switchyard. The project’s 230-kilovolt (kV) gen-tie line would be approximately 1.3 miles long and would parallel/traverse the boundary of the California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Division’s Prairie City SVRA. The gen-tie line would connect with a new switchyard that would be constructed on State property to interconnect into the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) 230 kV powerline in proximity to the Prairie City SVRA. Following construction of the switchyard, SMUD would own and operate the switchyard facilities. 

The project site comprises numerous parcels that total approximately 2,704 acres. Of the approximately 2,704-acre project site, approximately 1,412 acres of this area would be developed to support the project and is collectively referred to as the “solar development area” and the remaining approximately 1,292 acres are referred to as “adjacent other lands” and would not be developed as part of the project. Adjacent other lands are lands within the project site but located outside of the solar development area, which includes the proposed footprint of project construction activities and development. The solar development area includes all locations used for temporary construction and also all permanent project infrastructure. Areas denoted as adjacent other lands would be appropriately delineated with flagging and construction areas activities would be required to avoid adverse impacts within these areas. 

The proposed project would continue to support grazing activities within the project’s fenced boundary, and grazing is anticipated to continue outside of the fenced boundary under the control of the landowner. These combined grazing activities would ensure grazing and ranching activities continue, and that the area remains as a large ranch under the Williamson Act. New troughs and fencing would be installed along with new seeding of portions of the ranch to provide quality grazing habitat within the fenced solar array. Additionally, areas of pollinator friendly habitat will be created. The proposed project would incorporate solar energy generation, storage, and ancillary facilities and these solar energy generating facilities would operate concurrently with ranching activities.

Entitlements Requested

​The request involves the following entitlements:

1. A Use Permit to allow an approximately 200-MW alternating current photovoltaic solar energy generating facility (Commercial II Solar Facility) and associated 4-hour/100 MW BESS on multiple parcels totaling approximately 2,704 acres with approximately 1,412 acres containing the solar development area, in the Agricultural – 80 acres (AG-80), AG-80 (Flood), and Heavy Industrial (M-2) zoning districts.
   

2. A Special Development Permit to allow the proposed project to deviate from the following development standards

   • Interior Side Yard Setback (SZC Section 5.3.2.B, Table 5.5): The minimum interior side yard setback is 50 feet. The applicant requests a 100 percent setback reduction to allow the solar arrays to be placed up to zero feet from the interior property boundaries.
     

   • ​Surfacing Requirements (SZC Section 5.9.4.B): Surfacing for all drive aisles shall at minimum consist of gravel. As proposed, internal service roadways would consist of a dirt surface.​
     

3. A Design Review to determine substantial compliance with the Sacramento County Countywide Design Guidelines (Design Guidelines)
   

​​​Environmental Documents

​​Final E​IR

• ​Notice of Availability
• Coyote Creek Agrivoltaic Ranch Final EIR – Complete document
  
  • Cover Page
  • Table of Contents
  • Preface
  • Chapter 1 Executive Summary
  • Chapter 2 Project Description
  • Chapter 3 Aesthetics
  • Chapter 4 Agricultural Resources
  • Chapter 5 Air Quality
  • Chapter 6 Biological Resources
  • Chapter 7 Climate Change
  • Chapter 8 Cultural and Paleo Resources
  • Chapter 9 Hazards
  • Chapter 10 Hydrology and Water Quality
  • Chapter 11 Land Use
  • Chapter 12 Noise
  • Chapter 13 Traffic and Circulation
  • Chapter 14 Tribal Cultural Resources
  • Chapter 15 Wildfire
  • Chapter 16 Alternatives
  • Chapter 17 Summary of Impacts and Dispositions
  • Chapter 18 Bibliography
  • Chapter 19 Acknowledgements
  • Chapter 20 Response to Comments
• ​FEIR Appendix A - Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area Consistency Analysis  
• ​FEIR Appendix B - Hazardous Consequence Analysis​
• ​FEIR Appendix C - Comments on the DEIR​​​

Draft E​IR

A Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) has been prepared by the County of Sacramento pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines. The public comment period has been extend and will now close May 5, 2025. Please submit written comments to: ceqa@saccounty.gov​.

• Notice of Availability​​ 
  
• Coyote Creek Agrivoltaic​ Ranch DEIR – Complete document
  
  • Cover Page
    
  • Table of Contents
    
  • Chapter 1 Executive Summary
    
  • Chapter 2 Project description
    
  • Chapter 3 Aesthetics
    
  • Chapter 4 Agricultural Resources
    
  • Chapter 5 Air Quality
    
  • Chapter 6 Biological Resources
    
  • Chapter 7 Climate Change
    
  • Chapter 8 Cultural and Paleontological Resources
    
  • Chapter 9 Hazards
    
  • Chapter 10 Hydrology and Water Quality
    
  • Chapter 11 Land Use
    
  • Chapter 12 Noise
    
  • Chapter 13 Traffic and Circulation
    
  • Chapter 14 Tribal Cultural Resources
    
  • Chapter 15 Wildfire
    
  • Chapter 16 Alternatives
    
  • Chapter 17 Summary of Impacts
    
  • Chapter 18 Bibliography​
    
• Appendix PD-1 – Decommissioning Plan 
• Appendix PD-2 – NOP Comments
  
• Appendix AE-1 – Landscaping and Irrigation Plan
  
• Appendix AE-2 – Glare Report
  
• Appendix AG-1 – Ag Management Plan
  
• Appendix AQ-1 – Air Quality and GHG Report
  
• Appendix BR-1 – Biological Resources Report
  
• Appendix CR-1 – Non-Confidential Built Environment Report
  
• Appendix HY-1 – Water Supply Assessment​​

​Comments Receive​d on Draft EIR​

• All Comments Received on the Draft EIR​​​

Final Hearing Body

The final hearing body for this request is the Board of Supervisors. This project is currently scheduled for​ the Board of Supervisors hearing on Tuesday, ​November 18, 2025​, as item 48 on the agenda​, and is expected to be heard at 2pm.

Project Documents

This section will list the most recent project documents.​

• Recent Notices
  • Notice of Preparation of Draft EIR
    
• Current Proposed Project 
  
  • Applicant Project Description (September 2023)
    
  • Preliminary Grading Plan (July 2023)
    
  • Site Plan (July 2023)
    
  • Preliminary Landscaping Plan (August 2023)
    
  • Visual Simulations
    
  • Agricultural Management Plan
    
  • Decommissioning Plan
    
  • Neighborhood Outreach Plan​​
    

Public Meetings

This section will list all County public meetings, past, upcoming, and scheduled, for the proposal. Links to the materials and meeting recordings are included below. To receive updates on the project, please sign up using the link at the top of the page for email updates.​

​Next Steps

Please note that this is a tentative project timeline. Timeframes provided below are subject to change and will be updated accordingly.

*Opportunities for Public/Agency Input

• Preparation of Draft EIR (Winter/Early Spring 2025)
  
• Public and Agency Review of Draft EIR* (March 5, 2025 -  April 21, 2025​ - 45 days)
• Cosumnes​ Community Planning Advisory Council (CPAC) Meeting* (March 26, 2025 and​ during 45 day review period)
• Public Meeting on Draft EIR* (April 14, 2025)
  
• Project Review Committee (PRC) – Condition Review (June 25, 2025)​
  
• Preparation of Final EIR including a Response to Comments and Staff Report 
• Planning Commission Hearing (October 6, 2025)
  
• Board of Supervisors Hearing* (November 18, 2025)​
  

Past Meetings and Materials​​

• Cosumnes​ CPAC Meeting - March 26, 2025
  
  • ​Meeting Agenda
    
  • CPAC Packet
  • Meeting Recording​
• Agricultural Advisory Council – March 9, 2022
  • AAC Package
  • Meeting Minutes​
• Public Scoping Meeting – February 9, 2022 
  • Presentation
    
  • Zoom Recording
    
• Agency Scoping Meeting – February 8, 2022
  
  • Presentation​
    
  • Zoom Recording​​
    
• Design Review Advisory Committee (DRAC) – February 10, 2022
  • Meeting Agenda​
    
  • DRAC Package
    
  • Meeting Minutes
• Cosumnes CPAC Meeting (Workshop Item) – February 2, 2022
  • Meeting Agenda
  • CPAC Package
  • Meeting Recording (Start media at 30:22)
    
• PRC – Initial Review – January 26, 2022
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Agenda Packet
    
  • Meeting Recording​
    

Contacts

Kimber Gutierrez, Senior Planner – gutierrezk@saccounty.gov

Alison Little, Environmental Analyst – littlea@saccounty.gov