California Plans to Transform 136,000 Acres of Idle Farmland into 21-Gigawatt Solar Powerhouse

Fresno, CA — In a groundbreaking move that could redefine California’s energy landscape and agricultural future, the Westlands Water District has greenlit the Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan (VCIP), a colossal initiative to convert up to 136,000 acres of fallowed farmland into one of the world’s largest solar and storage projects.

Approved on December 16, 2025, this ambitious plan promises to generate up to 21 gigawatts of solar power—enough to electrify approximately 9 million homes—while addressing the state’s chronic water shortages and accelerating its push toward 100% clean energy by 2045. Nestled in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, spanning western Fresno and Kings Counties, the Westlands Water District oversees a vast 1,000-square-mile area that has long been a cornerstone of American agriculture.

However, decades of drought, population growth, and stringent environmental regulations like the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act have forced over 215,000 acres—more than a third of the district’s irrigable land—out of production. What was once fertile ground for crops like almonds, tomatoes, and cotton now lies idle, drained by water constraints that have crippled local economies and displaced farmworkers.

Enter the VCIP, a visionary collaboration between the Westlands Water District and Golden State Clean Energy. This plan repurposes these water-limited, drainage-impaired lands for solar photovoltaic arrays, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and high-voltage transmission lines to seamlessly integrate the power into California’s grid. At full buildout, the project could supply one-sixth of the state’s electricity needs by 2035 and one-tenth by 2050, slashing power-sector carbon emissions and delivering significant annual electricity cost savings.

The project’s scale is staggering: individual solar installations could range from 100 to 1,150 megawatts, developed primarily by third-party partners under Golden State Clean Energy’s master planning. Dedicated transmission infrastructure, built with 100% union labor under project labor agreements, aims to bypass grid congestion and interconnection delays that have plagued other renewable efforts.

Construction could begin within the next two years, with full completion spanning up to a decade, following the certification of the Final Program Environmental Impact Report (FPEIR) last month.

This initiative didn’t emerge in a vacuum. It was enabled by California Assembly Bill 2661, authored by Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria and signed into law in September 2024, which empowers water districts like Westlands to develop, own, and operate solar, storage, and transmission facilities. The bill also mandates a community benefits plan, crafted with local input, to ensure neighboring communities receive payments for job training, environmental remediation, and economic development—potentially creating thousands of jobs and aiding farmworkers in transitioning to skilled trades in the renewable sector.

Beyond energy production, VCIP strikes at the core of California’s dual crises: water scarcity and climate change. By fallowing unproductive land for solar, farmers can redirect their limited water allocations to more resilient acreage, preserving the long-term viability of agriculture in the region. Landowners stand to gain new revenue streams through long-term leases, mitigating the economic fallout from idled fields that have already cost billions in lost productivity and jobs.

Environmentalists and energy experts hail the plan as a win-win, avoiding development on pristine lands while bolstering California’s renewable goals. The project’s official blueprint emphases its role in reducing reliance on fossil fuels without further straining water resources.

Sources

Cal Matters. (2025, September 11). California may help solar bloom where water runs dry. https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2025/09/solar-fallowed-farmland-wicks/

Canary Media. (2026, January). The biggest US solar-storage project yet takes shape in California. https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/biggest-us-solar-storage-project-california

CleanTechnica. (2026, January 3). 21 Gigawatts of Solar for California Land That Can No Longer Be Used for Agriculture. https://cleantechnica.com/2026/01/03/21-gigawatts-of-solar-for-california-land-that-can-no-longer-be-used-for-agriculture/

Golden State Clean Energy. (n.d.). Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan (VCIP). https://goldenstatecleanenergy.com/project/valley-clean-infrastructure

Golden State Clean Energy. (n.d.). Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan. https://valleycleaninfrastructureplan.com/

GV Wire. (2026, January 6). Westlands Board Vote Moves Huge Solar Project Forward. https://gvwire.com/2026/01/06/westlands-board-vote-moves-huge-solar-project-forward

Maven’s Notebook. (2025, December 17). Westlands Water District Board votes to adopt Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan. https://mavensnotebook.com/2025/12/17/westlands-water-district-board-votes-to-adopt-valley-clean-infrastructure-plan

pv magazine. (2026, January 5). California water district plans up to 21 GW of solar on fallowed farmland. https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/01/05/california-water-district-plans-up-to-21-gw-of-solar-on-fallowed-farmland/

Valley Ag Voice. (2025, December 17). Westlands Approves Plan to Repurpose Farmland for Renewable Energy Projects. https://www.valleyagvoice.com/westlands-approves-plan-to-repurpose-farmland-for-renewable-energy-projects

Westlands Water District. (2025, December). The Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan. https://wwd.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/the-valley-clean-infrastructure-plan.pdf