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Renewable Energy Program: Implementation of General Plan Policy EV-4.4 and Programs COS-O and HAZ-O

A panoramic view of a solar farm in the foreground with a residential area behind and mountains in the distance under a clear sky.

The County of Ventura is currently implementing the Renewable Energy Program, comprised of a series of amendments to the Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance (NCZO) planned to occur in three phases. The focus of this program is to implement programs and policies from the General Plan that encourage the development of renewable energy and energy storage to help grow the County’s green economy while conserving the characteristics of areas with open space and agriculture.

This webpage includes updates to the NCZO amendment process, which can be accessed by clicking on the following links.

  1. What’s New?
  2. Project Background
  3. Renewable Energy Program, Phase 1
  4. Frequently Asked Questions

What's New?

On May 21, 2024, the Board of Supervisors reviewed and approved the Phase 1 NCZO amendments. One of the most significant aspects of this approval was the establishment of a cumulative 100-acre limitation on energy storage on lands in the combined Open Space (OS), Agricultural Exclusive (AE), and Rural Agricultural (RA) zones. A key question was what portion of a project counts towards this 100-acre limitation? Consistent with the standards of review for other similar land uses, the project area energy storage including modules, accessory equipment and structures, substations, and internal circulation routes are counted. However, a projects ingress/egress access road(s) is not counted toward the limitation.  

The Phase 1 NCZO Amendments also included implementation of the Planning Director Use Equivalency Determination, as described in Project Background, below.

Project Background

On September 15, 2020, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors adopted the 2040 General Plan and the goals, policies, and programs are currently being implemented. In support of General Plan Programs COS-O, Assessment of Land Near Electrical Transmission and Distribution Lines, HAZ-O, Solar Concentration Restriction, and Policy EV-4.4, Renewable Energy Facilities, the Planning Division prepared a Renewable Energy Program Siting Assessment that identifies undeveloped and underutilized sites within the unincorporated areas of the southern half of Ventura County that are suitable for grid-scale renewable energy projects consisting of ground-mounted solar arrays, wind turbines, and battery energy storage projects. On September 26, 2023, the Board of Supervisors the Board of Supervisors conducted a study session that formally received the assessment.  After consideration of public comment from renewable energy organizations, community stakeholders, and a representative from Southern California Edison (SCE), the Board directed staff to return with another proposal based on the guidance provided. On November 29, 2023, the Planning Director issued a Planning Director Use Equivalency Determination pursuant to NCZO Section 8105-2 (Equivalent Uses Not Listed) that found that grid-scale battery energy storage is an equivalent principal use to both the “energy production from renewable resources” use category in NCZO sections 8105-4 and 8105-5, and the “warehousing and storage” use category in NCZO section 8105-5 (See Planning Director Use Equivalency Determination section below). Applications for the use shall be processed and authorized as 1) an “energy production from renewable energy” project in the OS, AE, and RA zones with a Planning Commission-approved CUP, and 2) a “warehousing and storage” project in the M1, M2, M3, and IND zones with a Planning Director-approved PD permit. On December 19, 2023, the Board of Supervisors conducted a study session that reviewed revised recommendations. The Board supported staff’s recommendation for a three phased approach to implementing this new program, containing the following elements:
Phase 1Phase 2Phase 3
  •       Establish a 100-acre limitation in the OS, AE, and RA zones for energy storage facilities
  •       Codify the November 2023 Director’s Use Equivalency Determination
  •       Permit Simplification
  •       Solar Concentration Prohibition
  •       Accessory Uses
  •       Siting Requirements and Development Standards
  •       Lot coverage review
  •       Renewable Energy Restriction Overlay Zone

Renewable Energy Program, Phase 1

On March 21, 2024, the Planning Commission reviewed the proposed Phase 1 NCZO amendments, and approved Resolution 24-04 which forwarded a recommendation of approval for the amendments to the Board of Supervisors. The Planning Commission also provided the following additional recommendations for the Board’s consideration:

  • To direct Planning staff to further study potential job impacts as the result of energy storage projects in the Industrial zones, including potential job losses and/or job gains;
  • Based on the results of this study, consider initiating a subsequent legislative project to limit the acreage available for energy storage projects in the Industrial zones; and
  • During Phase 2 of the Renewable Energy Program, include a development standard that energy storage facilities be located adjacent to, or as close as possible to, existing electrical infrastructure in the AE, OS, and RA zones.

On May 21, 2024, the Board of Supervisors reviewed and approved the Phase 1 NCZO amendments. The Board also directed the Planning Division staff to prepare and report back with a proposal on when to allocate a project’s acreage, subject to the limits set forth in NCZO Section 8107-49.1, against the overall 100-acre limitation.

To respond to inquiries about how much of the 100-acre limitation for energy storage has been allocated please click here to view page that tracks the remaining acres allocations for certain land uses, including the   100-acres for energy storage.

Project Schedule

As described above, Phase 1 was completed in early 2024. Phase 2 is currently underway. This section will be updated upon scheduling of future hearings.

Planning Staff Contacts

For inquires on this project, or to sign up for notifications, please contact:

Phase 1
Donald Nielsen, Case Planner, at 805-650-4047 or via email to Donald.Nielsen@ventura.org

Phase 2
Todd Davis, Case Planner, at 805-654-2498 or via email to Todd.Davis@ventura.org

Frequently Asked Questions

This section provides a summary of questions and responses to commonly asked questions. Most of the questions are focused on energy storage.

  • Is an energy storage project subject to lot coverage requirements?
    • All development on the site, including existing development, is subject to the lot coverage standards for the applicable land use/zone. Energy storage buildings, structures, and related equipment are included in lot coverage. For instance, if an energy storage project is proposed on a 100-acre parcel in the Agricultural Exclusive Zone, which has a 5% lot coverage maximum, this means that the parcel can accommodate up to 5-acres (217,800 square-feet) of buildings, structures, and equipment.
    • These coverage requirements can vary greatly by zone, such as 5% lot coverage in Agricultural Exclusive Zone, and up to 50% lot coverage in Industrial zones.
  • Can an energy storage project exceed lot coverage standard if the project is still within the 100-acres energy storage limitation?
    • An energy storage project is still subject to the project sites’ underlaying lot coverage established by the General Plan land use designation and/or governing Area Plan.
  • Does an energy storage project have to comply with a Land Conservation Act (Williamson Act) agreement?
    • Any project proposed on a site that has an existing LCA agreement must be found to be consistent with the agreement. If a project is not consistent with the agreement and findings cannot be made, then either the project or the agreement will need to be updated or reconsidered. It is the responsibility of the applicant to demonstrate that an energy storage project is consistent with any LCA agreements on the property.
  • Does an energy storage project need water?
    • The Ventura County Fire Department currently requires on-site water availability, either through a hydrant or water tanks, that meets established fire flow standards. Please contact the Fire Department for additional information.
  • What happens when the County authorizes 100-acres of energy storage?
    • If the County authorizes 100-acres of energy storage in in the AE, OS, and RA zones then no additional applications may be submitted to the Planning Division for energy storage in these zones. However, a project applicant may still submit their application for energy storage in an industrial zone (M1, M2, M3, or IND) or to the California Energy Commission for review and approval under AB 205 (2021-2022).
  • What is AB 205 (2021-2022)?
    • AB 205 created a new certification process for qualified projects to be processed through the California Energy Commission, in which the Commission is the lead agency all the permitting and approvals outside of the local authority and regulations. Local Governments can review and submit comments but have no permitting authority. So, what is a qualifying project? They consist of 1) non-fossil-fueled powerplants, 2) renewable energy generation and storage facilities, and 3) facilities that manufacture, produce, or assemble specialized products, components, or systems of non-fossil-fueled powerplants and energy storage facilities. One aspect that is noteworthy though is that qualifying projects must A) provide overall net-positive economic impact to local jurisdiction, and B) enter into an agreement with one or more community-based organizations. Please see this link for additional information about AB 205.

Contact Us

Donald Nielsen

Case Planner
Donald.Nielsen@ventura.org
(805) 650-4047

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