San Diego Reader

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation today announced that it will begin installing solar panels that will generate 25 megawatts of power at five prisons across the state. Unlike a series of negative benefit installations by the Navy, these projects are expected to save taxpayers over $57 million over the next 20 years, the department predicts.

The 83,000 panels will be installed at Chuckawalla Valley and Ironwood State Prisons in Blythe, near the Arizona border in Riverside County, and at North Kern State Prison in Delano and California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi. These projects are already underway, with installations at California State Prison, Los Angeles County to be completed by next summer.

“This expansion of [the corrections department]’s renewable energy portfolio reduces our reliance on the utility companies and demonstrates the department’s ongoing commitment in meeting Governor Brown’s renewable energy goals,” said corrections department ecretary Matthew Cate.

Installation and maintenance will be handled by SunEdison, and no money from the state’s General Fund will be used.