The project will consist of 563 MW of solar photovoltaic (“PV”) technology and 100.5 MW of Stirling-dish solar thermal technology (“SunCatchers”.)
California Unions for Reliable Energy (“CURE”), a coalition of unions whose members promote the development of power plants in an environmentally responsible manner, has announced today a new collaboration with K Road Calico Solar, LLC (“K Road Calico”), an independent utility-scale solar project in San Bernardino County, California.
“Project Labor Agreements such as the one that will be negotiated between K Road Calico’s contractor and local unions help to further the interests of project developers, contractors, workers and local communities alike”
“CURE believes that the construction and operation of K Road Calico Solar will be of great benefit to the State of California,” said Mike Mowrey, International Vice President of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. “The project is sited on largely disturbed land in a designated energy corridor and the project team has gone to great lengths to reduce and mitigate any environmental impacts. K Road Calico provides an example of how California can develop a low-carbon economy while simultaneously preserving valuable desert habitat.”
The K Road Calico Solar Project is finalizing permits to construct up to 663.5 MW of solar capacity on federal lands 37 miles East of Barstow. The project will consist of 563 MW of solar photovoltaic (“PV”) technology and 100.5 MW of Stirling-dish solar thermal technology (“SunCatchers”.)
At peak production, the facility will power up to 497,000 homes. K Road Calico will generate enough electricity to avoid approximately 500,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions on average during each year of its contract term.
As part of its collaboration with CURE, K Road Calico will implement specific measures to avoid or minimize the project’s impacts on special status plants and wildlife, and state jurisdictional waters. Additional measures will be employed to further protect worker health and safety during construction and operations of the facility. These measures go above and beyond those K Road Calico is already undertaking as part of its permitting process with the Bureau of Land Management and California Energy Commission.
Also as part of the alliance, CURE will work with K Road Calico as it finalizes its permits and executes contracts for the sale of power to California consumers.
“K Road Calico will be constructed in a way that maximizes benefits to ratepayers while minimizing impacts to the surrounding environment,” said William Kriegel, K Road CEO. “The project will also help California achieve its renewable energy goals, promote public health and mitigate the state’s contribution to climate change.”
The K Road Calico Solar Project will be constructed using union labor, creating up to 700 jobs at the peak of construction activities. In addition, the project will create up to 112 permanent jobs associated with ongoing operations and maintenance of the facility. K Road Calico’s construction contractor will negotiate a Project Labor Agreement with local unions for the installation of both the planned PV and SunCatcher capacity at the project.
“Project Labor Agreements such as the one that will be negotiated between K Road Calico’s contractor and local unions help to further the interests of project developers, contractors, workers and local communities alike,” stated Kriegel.
K Road’s Managing Partner Gerrit Nicholas echoed this sentiment, stating “PLAs ensure that projects like K Road Calico will promote the creation of high-quality, well-paying jobs for local workers, particularly the IBEW Locals 477 and 47, and that the construction of California’s renewable energy future will be performed in a safe and efficient manner.”
