District advances major land-repurposing initiative as water shortages force large-scale land fallowing across the San Joaquin Valley
From Westlands Water District
Today, the Westlands Water District Board of Directors voted to certify the Final Program Environmental Impact Report (FPEIR) and adopt Findings of Fact under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan (VCIP). This action underscores Westlands’ leadership in charting a path forward for District growers and rural communities grappling with the impacts of widespread land fallowing driven by inadequate and unreliable water supplies and the ongoing implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
This year alone, chronic water shortages have forced more than 215,000 acres—roughly 38% of the District’s irrigable farmland—out of production, with additional acreage expected to be fallowed as SGMA further constrains groundwater use. These reductions jeopardize the thousands of jobs supported by the District and threaten the economic stability of rural communities whose essential services depend on the revenues generated by active agricultural production.
The VCIP offers a responsible, forward-looking land-use strategy that helps preserve the long-term viability of agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley. The plan repurposes up to 136,000 acres of drainage-impaired and water supply-limited lands for solar generation, energy storage, and transmission infrastructure, using previously cultivated acreage to support clean energy development while reducing pressure to build on undisturbed lands. In doing so, VCIP supports SGMA implementation and helps protect critical infrastructure from subsidence. The VCIP provides landowners with new, stable revenue streams through long-term leases, and allows growers to concentrate limited water supplies on their most productive and resilient acreage.
At full buildout, VCIP could generate up to 21 gigawatts of renewable energy, create thousands of construction and long-term jobs, and help California meet its statewide renewable energy goals. Through implementation of the board-affirmed community benefits commitment, local communities will directly share in the economic and social advantages of the clean-energy transition.
“Inadequate and unpredictable water supplies, made worse by SGMA’s demands, have forced more than 215,000 acres out of production this year alone, with real consequences for hardworking family farmers, workers and rural communities,” said Allison Febbo, General Manager of Westlands Water District. “Westlands is leading in finding solutions that protect the future of farming in the District and provide landowners with viable alternatives when water simply isn’t available. VCIP does exactly that. It strengthens the District’s agricultural resilience by giving fallowed acreage a new purpose, generating stable revenue streams for landowners, and helping preserve family farms for the next generation.”
Next Steps
Adoption of VCIP establishes a long-term blueprint for developing clean-energy facilities and supporting transmission infrastructure on repurposed lands that can no longer sustain irrigated agriculture. Certification of the FPEIR and adoption of VCIP allow the District and its partners to begin advancing project-level planning, permitting, and implementation steps.
Implementation of VCIP is supported by new authorities granted under AB 2661 (Soria 2024), which allow the District to develop, construct, and own solar generation, battery storage, and transmission facilities identified in the plan and require the District to adopt a community benefits plan. The District will also evaluate placing these facilities under the operational control of the California Independent System Operator (CAISO). Westlands will continue working with stakeholders on environmental compliance, land-use coordination, and phased development activities consistent with the adopted plan.
