Avangrid announced that construction is now underway at the Camino Solar Project in Kern County, California. Camino Solar is Avangrid’s first photovoltaic project in California with a capacity of 57 MW (44 MWac).

“It is always exciting to see another important renewable energy project break ground,” said Pedro Azagra, Avangrid CEO. “With this major milestone, we are one step closer to delivering clean solar energy in California to go along with our six wind energy facilities in the state. This is yet another example of our commitment to developing projects that create jobs, support the local community, and accelerate the clean energy transition.”Camino Solar is expected to create more than 100 construction jobs and several permanent jobs once complete.

The site will include 105,000 solar panels that are expected to generate the same amount of energy used by about 14,000 U.S. homes each year. Camino Solar is adjacent to Avangrid’s 189 MW Manzana Wind Farm, which reached commercial operation in 2012. It is located on a combination of private land and more than 200 acres of public lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

“Public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management provide sites for environmentally responsible renewable energy development such as the Camino Solar Project,” said BLM California Desert District Manager Shelly Lynch. “This project supports the nation’s transition to a clean energy economy by expanding access to clean energy, increasing reliability for the state’s power grid, creating jobs, and boosting local economies.”

The project is in an area scientifically analyzed and identified as suitable for clean energy development as part of the BLM’s Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan.

Avangrid is one of the nation’s largest renewable energy operators, with 8.7 GW of installed capacity.