Solar Development Bills Advance with Ongoing Policy Debate
Published Friday, April 24, 2026
Senate Bill 1183 by state Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Merced, supported by the California Farm Bureau, advanced out of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee with unanimous bipartisan support. The bill directs the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation to conduct a cumulative impacts study on large-scale industrial solar development in the Central Valley.
Caballero highlighted concerns about the long-term economic viability of farming communities such as Mendota and Firebaugh, as well as potential public health impacts, including increased risk of valley fever associated with the conversion of irrigated land to dry landscapes. Proponents note that no comprehensive regional study currently exists, and developers are not required to identify long-term community benefits. The bill now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
As discussions around large-scale solar development continue, related legislation is also moving through the process. Senate Bill 1097 by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, co-sponsored by the Rural County Representatives of California and large-scale solar interests, passed the Senate Energy and Utilities Committee with additional amendments. The bill aims to expedite electrical transmission upgrades through advanced reconductoring but would allow up to a 10% expansion of existing easement footprints and new construction within those areas.
The California Farm Bureau opposes SB 1097 unless it is amended to ensure that agricultural conservation easements and solar easements on Williamson Act lands remain subject to California Environmental Quality Act review. Notably, the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California has also raised concerns about increased valley fever risks tied to land use changes and dust—issues that underscore the need for the broader study proposed in SB 1183.
Staff contact: Peter Ansel, pansel@cfbf.com.
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