HomeMy WebLinkAbout5.1 - Patrizia Hironimus - Feedback Requested on Cenergy Power's Proposed Community Benefits Agreement as Part of their Solar Project.ATTENTION: This message originated from outside Butte County. Please exercise judgment before opening
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From:P Hironimus
To:Clerk of the Board; Dubose, Teri; Connelly, Bill; Durfee, Peter; Ritter, Tami; Kimmelshue, Tod; Teeter, Doug;
Clerk of the Board; Carmen (mum)
Subject:Agenda item 5.1 Public hearings and timed items 5.1 9:45 am - Feedback Requested on Cenergy Power"s
Proposed Community Benefits Agreement as Part of their Solar Project State Permitting Application
Date:Tuesday, October 27, 2026 9:29:23 AM
Good Morning,
Correct me if I am misunderstanding this proposed development. It appears that similar to the
biomass opportunity zones in south Oroville, a few individuals decided to make the fire break
area across the street from Neal Road landfill an economic opportunity zone for solar
investors. They may have done so without checking the special species list for Butte County
which includes protected biodiversity only occurring here at this location. They identified an
access point to power lines, which was then shopped around to those with mega money (please
follow the money) to harvest and sell electricity to the highest bidder, essentially bypassing
local government and land use agencies including the Vina Groundwater Sustainability
Agency, which the chair of has expressed deep concern, as this location is where the
groundwater is recharged for the Tuscan aquifer (think the City of Chico, lower park, and
agriculture crops).
The southern CA money dudes then decided to dangle a carrot - the promise of a fire engine
water tender, because this area has caught on fire in the past and will catch on fire in the
future- especially because Neal Road landfill catches on fire often due to household batteries
being thrown in the trash everyday...
The decision to bypass local government is intentional and even the local Butte County Farm
Bureau, Association of Cattlemen and Cattlewomen have expressed concern about this
location and the amount of farmland being taken out of production (in specific and in
general). Please don’t be fooled by the narrative of the need for solar here at this location
now, these are the same people that use AI indiscriminately and forgot to take a temp check
with the local agencies protecting this land and the species that define its essential purpose
such as Friends of Butte Creek and Butte County Resource Conservation District.
It has come to our attention that additional non-profits are taking a position about the
Community Benefits Agreements (CBA) as they feel as though they are being bought, bribed,
and lured into accepting hush money with the promise of "resiliency" grants. Many of these
agencies interested and dependent on grant funds are not equipped to redistribute this
particular promise of grant funds and don't have the legal council to review the CBA
agreements to protect themselves and their non profit employees from future legal action if
they deem the project hazardous to our groundwater or ineffective in protecting families and
homes near this fire severity zone.
As beneficial users of groundwater, concerned residents, we urge you to send a letter of
concern to the CEC and any state agency involved in this process. Realizing no application has
been received yet, we hope you will inform your constituents appropriately on action they can
take to stop this catastrophic development. Please oppose the change of zoning (or ask
LAFCO) to prevent Cynergy or any other industrial solar complex company from desecrating
the environment that allows groundwater recharge in our foothills. We urge you to look at the
fire severity maps, groundwater recharge areas, and land use codes for this project with due
diligence, it is our flora and fauna that sustains life in our community.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Patrizia and Carmen Hironimus
917.449.4292
phironimus@gmail.com