California Can’t Stop Owning Itself In Ongoing Wind And Solar Debacle

California’s wind and solar policies have become such a debacle that even Politico is mocking them after the state promised to fast-track renewable energy projects with a shiny new permitting program – yet one of the first big wind farms to test the system is now the poster child for how slowly the Governor Newsom’s “streamlining” really works.

The Fountain Wind project in Shasta County filed its paperwork more than 650 days ago, aiming to take advantage of a 270-day guaranteed decision window under the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) new rules. Instead, the plan is stuck in limbo – derailed by local opposition that flat-out doesn’t want giant turbines towering over their mountain community.

The stalemate has infuriated renewable energy backers, who say the state is sabotaging its own clean-energy goals. “Why champion a state permitting process that does authorize a local override if you’re not going to wield it?” fumed Alex Jackson, head of the American Clean Power Association.

Local Pushback Packs a Punch

Locals in Shasta County say the CEC and developers don’t understand the risks. Former county supervisor Mary Rickert pointed to memories of the 1990s Fountain Fire, warning that 679-foot-tall turbines could cripple aerial firefighting. The county board of supervisors agreed, rejecting the project outright.

The fight didn’t stop there. The Burney Water District pulled its permission to sell water to the project, leaving Fountain Wind’s plans in shambles. “As a community whole, we just didn’t want to be taken advantage of,” said district president David Barry.

The CEC cited the water plan change to kick the project off the 270-day clock, further delaying any decision. By March 2025, CEC staff recommended killing the project outright, arguing battery storage would be a better option.

Industry Furious, Sacramento Scrambles

Developers say this stop-and-go review makes California a terrible bet. “Do you think that I’m going to commit to a 10-year, multi-million-dollar development process with the risk that the county supervisors three elections down the road don’t think it’s appropriate?” said Michael Rucker of Scout Clean Energy, now building a wind farm outside San Jose. “The CEC’s action puts the development prospects for wind energy, at a time when the state needs it very much, just on ice.” 

Renewable energy boosters are lobbying lawmakers hard, pushing SB 254, a sweeping bill from state Sen. Josh Becker (D) that would make it easier for projects to prove local economic benefits, extend the permitting program’s deadline to 2034, and force the CEC to move faster once applications are filed.

Becker admits the system is far from perfect: “If we just have years and years of delays … it just adds costs to the system,” he said.

State Defends Its Record

CEC officials insist the program is working. Spokesperson Stacey Shepard pointed out that the Fresno County Darden Clean Energy Project cleared the 270-day process on time, and several others are in the pipeline representing thousands of megawatts of power and storage. Shepard said Fountain Wind lost its fast-track status because of its botched water plan, not because the state dragged its feet.

Meanwhile, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office brushed off the criticism, claiming the state is already adding record levels of renewable capacity. “We’re not slowing down any time soon,” said Newsom spokesperson Daniel Villasenor.

October Showdown

The fate of Fountain Wind now rests on the CEC’s October meeting, where the agency will decide whether to finally greenlight or kill the 71-turbine project. Developer Repsol insists it still deserves a chance. “We believe the project offers a meaningful opportunity to safely and responsibly contribute to the state’s and Repsol’s clean energy commitments,” said company spokesperson Christi Shafer.

In a statement, CEC spokesperson Stacey Shepard said that the opt-in program is working as intended, delivering a faster, predictable timeline for reviewing California energy projects. It brought the Fresno County Darden Clean Energy Project across the permitting finish line within the 270 day window, has three others with complete applications in the opt-in pipeline, and five more in the prefiling stage, representing 2,800 megawatts of new generation and 4,800 MW of storage capacity. –Politico

Rural county advocates, meanwhile, vow to keep fighting Sacramento’s power grab. “We need to retain discretion over projects that are occurring within our jurisdictional boundaries,” said John Kennedy of the Rural County Representatives of California.

For now, the state’s big clean-energy dreams are clashing head-on with small-town pushback – and the turbines aren’t spinning anytime soon.