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The citizens’ group Save North Livermore Valley has launched a GoFundMe campaign to fund a lawsuit to overturn Alameda County’s approval of the Aramis industrial solar power plant.
“Our Supervisors have failed us. The only way to stop the conversion of North Livermore Valley into a barren landscape of steel, glass and silicon is to file a lawsuit,” said Chris O’Brien, chairperson of the Save North Livermore Valley steering committee.
Save North Livermore Valley is a community advocacy group of over 400 residents of Livermore and the Tri-Valley area, as well as several local environmental organizations.
“We, the members of the community, must provide the leadership necessary to safeguard our precious open space, scenic vistas and habitat for endangered and threatened species today and for future generations,” O’Brien said.
The project site is partly at 1815 Manning Road and 4400 N. Livermore Ave., both south of Manning Road and west of North Livermore Avenue, and partly on two other parcels without street addresses north of Manning Road at its intersection with North Livermore Avenue.
“While Save North Livermore Valley cannot offer any prediction on the outcome of a lawsuit, we strongly believe in the strength of our legal arguments,” O’Brien said in a statement. “We will argue that Alameda County’s approval of the solar projects violates state environmental law, the county’s own General Plan and Zoning Code, and voter-approved initiative Measure D, which preserves open space and agricultural land in rural Alameda County.”
He continued that donations collected so far will be enough to file and pursue a lawsuit. However, acknowledging litigation can be complicated and often include unexpected costs, the group is seeking donations to ensure all expenses are covered and they can “take the lawsuit to the finish line.”
The group said 100% of all donations will go to the Save North Livermore Valley litigation fund.
“The financial burden of the litigation need not fall too heavily on any of us. We just all must step forward. If 1,000 people will each donate $100, or 500 persons each donate $200, we will quickly reach the goal set for the Go Fund Me campaign,” said O’Brien. “I ask that all persons that care about preserving the agricultural heritage of Livermore Valley and East Alameda County contribute to the litigation fund.”
More information is available at the group’s website at www.SaveNorthLivermoreValley.com.
As a senior executive in the renewable energy field, I support the efforts of the Livermore Community. While all agree that a transition from fossil fuel power sources to low-cost renewable energy sources is critical, it must be done with a careful consideration of all stakeholders. The solar generation plant does not have to be placed on farmland. In fact, it does not even have to be placed on land at all. The most recent advances in floating solar as well as the significant advantages to water conservation combine with a favorable cost comparison to result in alternatives that clearly need to be considered. I suggest that Alameda County require a full analysis of alternative sites, to include those on water surfaces, for the objective generation proposed by the Aramis project.