Tracy solar build gets White House go ahead

WASHINGTON, D.C.
May 16, 2012 8:26am

A solar power plant that the city of Tracy hopes to build has cleared a major hurdle that’s taken 14 years to accomplish.

President Barack Obama has signed legislation authored by Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, that will allow the city of Tracy to use property on Schulte Road for a renewable energy project.

The bill fixes a 14-year old bureaucratic problem that was preventing the Tracy solar project from moving forward.

The city says the solar energy project will create nearly 200 local jobs.

“I welcomed this opportunity to reach across the aisle to pass this commonsense bill, especially in the current climate in Washington,” says Mr. McNerney.

“The jobs that will be created by the Tracy solar energy project will help get our local economy moving, putting real people back to work. Investing in initiatives that will bring jobs to our region is one of the highest priorities that we have, and my bill will bring us one step closer to that reality,” says Mr. McNerney.

Tracy wants to purchase government land on Schulte Road for use as the site of a solar electricity-generation project. The 200-acre property was previously conveyed to the city of Tracy by Congress with the condition that most of the land be used for recreational or educational purposes. This provision caused the project to be held up for years.

Mr. McNerney’s bill waives any remaining restrictions on the land’s use once it is purchased by the city.

the Valley’s economic recovery. It’s not a Republican issue, it’s not a Democrat issue – it’s an American jobs issue,” says Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Modesto. “Today’s accomplishment is the result of a collaborative effort by a bipartisan group of members who worked hard to see this bill become law. I’m proud to have worked with my colleagues in the House and Senate from both sides of the aisle to put people back to work.”