What Kern County approved for Terra-Gen on 3,519 acres southeast of Mojave, how 184 small desert parcels became one site, and what a plant this size means for East Kern land and the county tax base.
The Galaxy Solar project near Mojave is Terra-Gen’s plan for up to 600 megawatts of solar panels and up to 4 gigawatt-hours of battery storage on about 3,519 acres. The site covers 184 private parcels about 6 miles southeast of Mojave in unincorporated Kern County, California. The Kern County Board of Supervisors certified the project’s environmental impact report (EIR) and approved its zoning and permits on Sept. 29, 2026. The county filed its Notice of Determination Oct. 1.
Key takeaways
- The Kern County Board of Supervisors approved the Galaxy Solar PV and Storage Project on Sept. 29, 2026. The State Clearinghouse received the county’s Notice of Determination on Oct. 1.
- The approvals cover up to 600 MW of solar and up to 4 GWh of storage on about 3,519 acres and 184 privately owned parcels, with a gen-tie line (a dedicated transmission line) to the existing Windhub Substation.
- PV Tech reported an expected $16.1 million in property taxes in the first full year of operation and about $120 million over a 35-year operating life. These are projections, and other local coverage of the hearing carried different estimates.
- The site grew during review, from about 3,400 acres on 162 parcels in the August 2025 Notice of Preparation to 3,519 acres on 184 parcels in the July 2026 final environmental documents.
- PV Tech’s Sept. 30, 2026 report said construction employment would peak at about 650 workers, hired through a local union labor agreement.
Galaxy Solar at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Project | Galaxy Solar PV and Storage Project (county file PLN23-00839) |
| Location | South side of State Route 58, about 2,900 feet east of State Route 14, on both sides of Silver Queen Road; about 6 miles southeast of Mojave and south of California City (state listing cross streets: 39th Street and Sunset Avenue, ZIP 93501); Supervisorial District 2 |
| Applicant | Galaxy Solar Storage, LLC, a Terra-Gen project company |
| Jurisdiction | Unincorporated Kern County (Planning and Natural Resources Department; Board of Supervisors) |
| Case numbers | GPA 5 (Map 195), GPA 6 and 7 (Map 212); ZCC 5 (Map 195), ZCC 4 and 5 (Map 212), ZCC 57 (Map 197); CUP 4 and 5 (Map 195), CUP 7 (Map 212), CUP 24 (Map 197); VAR 1 (Map 195), VAR 2 (Map 212), VAR 21 (Map 197); VTPM 12577 to 12582; SCH No. 2025081409 |
| Parcels | 184 parcels in the 235, 237, 244 and 428 assessor-number series |
| Size | About 3,519 acres; up to 600 MW solar; up to 4 GWh storage (the Draft EIR describes up to about 1,000 MW of storage equipment) |
| Use | Utility-scale solar and battery storage with an operations and maintenance building, collector substation, 230-kV switchyard, offsite water tanks and a gen-tie line to Windhub Substation |
| Status | Approved Sept. 29, 2026; EIR certified with a Statement of Overriding Considerations; Notice of Determination received Oct. 1 |
| Next step | CEQA challenge period; Terra-Gen has not announced a construction start or in-service date |
What did Kern County approve for the Galaxy Solar project?
The Kern County Board of Supervisors certified the EIR for the Galaxy Solar PV and Storage Project and approved its land-use entitlements on Sept. 29, 2026, according to the county’s Notice of Determination. The State Clearinghouse logged that notice Oct. 1.
The approval allows a photovoltaic plant of up to 600 MW with up to 4 GWh of energy storage on about 3,519 acres. Supervisors adopted findings, a mitigation monitoring program and a Statement of Overriding Considerations. That last step means the EIR found significant effects that could not be fully avoided, and the board approved the project anyway because of its benefits.
The Kern County Planning Commission opened its hearing July 23, 2026, continued it and heard the project again Aug. 27, according to the county’s project page. The Board of Supervisors took it up Sept. 29.
The entitlement package
The paperwork is long because the site is a patchwork of small lots. Per the Notice of Determination and the board’s Sept. 29 agenda, the approvals include:
- General plan amendments (GPA 5 on Map 195; GPA 6 and 7 on Map 212) that change land designated “Other Facilities” to “Resource Management” and remove future road reservations from the circulation plan.
- Zone changes (ZCC 5 on Map 195; ZCC 4 and 5 on Map 212; ZCC 57 on Map 197) that move about 3,487 acres from A-1 (Limited Agriculture) to A (Exclusive Agriculture).
- Conditional use permits (CUP 4 and 5 on Map 195; CUP 7 on Map 212; CUP 24 on Map 197) for the solar fields, energy storage, switchyards and staging areas.
- Zone variances (VAR 1, VAR 2 and VAR 21) allowing parcels of 2.59 to 10.23 acres where the zone calls for a 20-acre minimum.
- Six vesting tentative parcel maps (VTPM 12577 through 12582) that consolidate parcels and allow 30-foot easements where 40 feet is normally required.
For a primer on how these steps fit together, see our guide to industrial land entitlements and CEQA in Kern County.
What gets built
The Final EIR filing describes solar panels, a medium-voltage collection system, inverters, transformers, an operations and maintenance building, energy storage, a collector substation and an onsite 230-kilovolt switchyard. A gen-tie line would deliver power to the existing Windhub Substation. The Draft EIR also lists offsite water tanks for construction and operations.
The Draft EIR split the plant into two main development areas: about 150 MW on 966.77 acres and about 450 MW on 2,146.29 acres, plus an offsite switchyard on about 29.4 acres. It said 4 GWh of storage could require up to 1,000 MW of equipment, which works out to about four hours of discharge at full output.
Where is the Galaxy Solar project near Mojave?
The site sits about 6 miles southeast of Mojave, about 8 miles northeast of Rosamond and about 8 miles northwest of Edwards Air Force Base, according to the state’s CEQA listing. PV Tech places it south of Highway 58, roughly 2,900 feet east of Highway 14, on both sides of Silver Queen Road. The state listing names California City and Mojave as the nearest cities.
The location has what energy developers look for: privately owned desert land, State Route 58 and the BNSF Railway nearby, and an existing substation as the connection point. The Mojave Air and Space Port is the closest airport.
Site history: 184 small desert parcels
This is not a single ranch. The Notice of Determination counts 184 privately owned parcels. Many sit far below the zoning minimum, which is why the county approved variances for lots of 2.59 to 10.23 acres. The general plan amendments delete future road reservations, and the six parcel maps merge lots into usable blocks.
The project grew during review. The August 2025 Notice of Preparation and the April 2026 Draft EIR described about 3,400 acres on 162 parcels. The Final EIR materials filed July 28, 2026 and the Notice of Determination describe 3,519 acres on 184 parcels. The state’s CEQA database lists no earlier environmental review for this assemblage.
Who is behind Galaxy Solar?
The applicant is Galaxy Solar Storage, LLC, a Terra-Gen project company. Terra-Gen is an independent power producer owned by Masdar, the clean energy company owned by the government of the United Arab Emirates, and Igneo Infrastructure Partners. Masdar closed its purchase of Energy Capital Partners’ 50% stake in October 2024, PV Tech reported. Longtime CEO Jim Pagano retired Nov. 30, 2025, and CFO John O’Connor became CEO Dec. 1, 2025, according to Terra-Gen.
The company says it operates 4.2 GW of wind, solar and battery projects with 5.6 GWh of storage. PV Tech reported about 1.1 GW of operating solar and a development pipeline of about 16 GW.
Kern County is central to Terra-Gen’s business. Its Edwards Sanborn complex, built by Mortenson, reached full operation in January 2024 with 875 MWdc of solar and 3,287 MWh of storage on 4,600 acres, partly on Edwards Air Force Base, Energy-Storage.News reported. Terra-Gen’s project list shows five operating Kern projects totaling 1,325 MW, the 368 MW EdSan 2 under construction, and Galaxy among its Kern developments alongside the separate Discovery Solar project.
What does Galaxy Solar mean for Kern County land, tax base and energy real estate?
Galaxy adds a large property taxpayer and a new kind of demand for East Kern land, but no warehouse space. The sections below cover each effect.
A large new property taxpayer
PV Tech reported the project is expected to generate about $16.1 million in property taxes in its first full year of operation and about $120 million over a 35-year operating life. Local coverage of the hearing carried other estimates. All of these figures are projections.
Timing matters. California’s property tax exclusion for new active solar energy systems covers systems installed by the end of 2026. SB 710, signed in October 2025, lets systems installed before that deadline keep the break until the property sells, according to Sen. Catherine Blakespear’s office. A 600 MW plant approved Sept. 29, 2026 is unlikely to be installed by that deadline, so it is not expected to receive the break. For the federal side of solar economics, see our explainer on the commercial solar tax credit.
Land: assembly is the value story
No major brokerage publishes solar land values or lease rates for East Kern, so there is no published market benchmark for this land. The county record shows the transaction pattern instead: 184 small private lots, many under the 20-acre zoning minimum, pulled into one 3,519-acre site with consolidated maps and fewer mapped roads.
For owners of small desert parcels near Mojave, Rosamond and California City, the practical read is simple. Scattered ownership, undersized lots and mapped roads make these parcels hard to sell one at a time. A utility-scale developer with a nearby substation can be the buyer or tenant that turns them into part of a larger, financeable site.
Industrial and energy real estate
Bakersfield metro reports are the closest brokerage benchmark for industrial space. A national brokerage’s Q2 2026 Bakersfield industrial report put availability at 10.1%, with average asking rent of $0.71 per square foot per month, triple net, and only one building, about 510,000 square feet in Arvin, under construction.
Galaxy adds no warehouse space. It does bring demand that local commercial property feels. A construction workforce peaking near 650, per PV Tech, needs contractor yards, equipment storage, lodging and services. Over the plant’s life, outside service contractors can add steady demand for small yard and flex space in Mojave, Rosamond and California City.
Power is now a real estate variable in its own right. In a Feb. 26, 2026 brokerage release, a national firm said grid connection timelines for large new loads now average five years across major data center markets, and that battery storage costs fell 75% between 2015 and 2025, to $108 per kilowatt-hour. The release said power availability, reliability and costs “are increasingly shaping site selection, development feasibility and asset performance.”
Galaxy sells into the grid and will not hand power to a neighboring user. Still, 4 GWh of batteries lets solar output shift into the evening, and East Kern keeps adding generation and storage. For industrial buyers who rank power first, our guide to SB 410 energization timelines explains how long utility hookups can take. A neighboring battery project, the Euismod Energy Storage Project near Rosamond, heads to a county hearing Oct. 22.
What concerns or conditions came with the approval?
The EIR reviewed issues from aesthetics, air quality and biological resources to wildfire, water and fiscal impacts, per the state listing. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife submitted a comment letter on the Draft EIR, which circulated April 30 to June 15, 2026.
Joshua trees are one reported condition. PV Tech reported that Joshua trees near the site will be relocated to a tree sanctuary in Los Angeles County. Other regional projects obtained state incidental take permits under the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act, including Windhub Solar B and the Mojave Micro Mill. The state’s CEQA database lists no Galaxy permit.
The official record and news coverage show no organized opposition. PV Tech’s report on the approval emphasized property tax revenue and union construction jobs. The county’s project page posts the EIR volumes and hearing staff reports.
What happens next for the Galaxy Solar project?
With the notice filed Oct. 1, the project is in the CEQA period during which the approval can be challenged in court. Under Public Resources Code section 21167, that window is generally 30 days from the filing, which points to roughly the end of October.
Terra-Gen still needs construction-level permits from the county, and relocating western Joshua trees generally requires a state incidental take permit. The company has not announced a construction start, power buyers or an in-service date. An interconnection or power purchase announcement, state wildlife permitting and grading permits would be the next signs that dirt will move.
For the county, the next marker is fiscal. The first tax bill on the finished plant will show how much of the projected $16.1 million reaches the roll.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Galaxy Solar project near Mojave?
It is a Terra-Gen solar farm approved for up to 600 megawatts of photovoltaic generation and up to 4 gigawatt-hours of battery storage. The plant covers about 3,519 acres on 184 private parcels southeast of Mojave in unincorporated Kern County. Supervisors approved it Sept. 29, 2026.
Where exactly is the Galaxy Solar site?
The site is about 6 miles southeast of Mojave, south of California City and about 8 miles northeast of Rosamond. It lies south of Highway 58, roughly 2,900 feet east of Highway 14, straddling Silver Queen Road. A gen-tie line would carry power to the existing Windhub Substation.
Who owns Terra-Gen?
Masdar, the UAE government-owned clean energy company, and Igneo Infrastructure Partners own Terra-Gen. Masdar’s purchase of Energy Capital Partners’ 50% stake closed in October 2024. John O’Connor became CEO Dec. 1, 2025, and the company built the Edwards Sanborn solar and storage complex in Kern County.
How much property tax will Galaxy Solar pay Kern County?
PV Tech reported an expected $16.1 million in the first full year of operation and about $120 million over 35 years. Those are projections, and other local coverage cited different figures. The new-construction solar exclusion applies only to systems installed by the end of 2026, which this plant is unlikely to meet.
How many jobs will the Galaxy Solar project create?
PV Tech reported that construction employment will peak at about 650 workers hired through a local union labor agreement. The same report cited about 350 permanent jobs, though solar plants usually need far fewer permanent staff than construction crews.
When will Galaxy Solar be built?
No construction start or in-service date has been announced. The county approved the project Sept. 29 and filed its notice Oct. 1. The CEQA challenge window, state Joshua tree permitting and county construction permits all come first.
Does a solar farm like Galaxy affect nearby land values?
No major brokerage publishes solar land values for East Kern, so there is no clean benchmark. The Galaxy record does show assembly value: 184 small parcels, many below the 20-acre zoning minimum, were combined into one site next to the Windhub Substation. For owners of small desert lots, an energy developer can be a buyer able to use them at scale.
Own land in East Kern, or weighing how energy projects affect values and leasing near Mojave, Rosamond or California City? Call Kern CRE at 855-KERN-CRE (855-537-6273) or contact us. Get Kern County CRE news monthly: subscribe to the Kern CRE report.
Sources
- Galaxy Solar PV and Storage Project, Notice of Determination, SCH 2025081409, CEQAnet (Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation), received Oct. 1, 2026.
- Galaxy Solar PV and Storage Project, Response to Comments (Final EIR), CEQAnet, received July 28, 2026.
- Galaxy Solar PV and Storage Project, Draft EIR, CEQAnet, received April 23, 2026.
- Galaxy Solar PV and Storage Project, Notice of Preparation, CEQAnet, received Aug. 29, 2025.
- Galaxy Solar PV Storage Project (EIR volumes, hearing dates and staff reports), Kern County Planning and Natural Resources Department.
- Agenda, Sept. 29, 2026, Item 9, Kern County Board of Supervisors, Sept. 29, 2026.
- Kern County approves 600MW/4GWh solar-plus-storage project from Terra-Gen in California, PV Tech, Sept. 30, 2026.
- Masdar closes acquisition of US IPP Terra-Gen, PV Tech, Oct. 2, 2024.
- Jim Pagano to Retire as Terra-Gen CEO, Terra-Gen, Aug. 15, 2025.
- Our Story, Terra-Gen.
- Solar Energy (project list), Terra-Gen.
- California solar-plus-storage project with world’s largest BESS fully online, Energy-Storage.News, Jan. 24, 2024.
- Sen. Blakespear’s legislation to protect solar tax incentive signed by Governor (SB 710), Office of Sen. Catherine Blakespear, Oct. 6, 2025.
- Power availability becoming key driver of CRE value, JLL, Feb. 26, 2026.
- Bakersfield Industrial MarketBeat Q2 2026, Cushman & Wakefield, Q2 2026.
- Windhub Solar B, Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act Incidental Take Permit No. 1927-2024-044-04, NOD, CEQAnet, undated listing.
- Mojave Micro Mill Project, WJTCA Incidental Take Permit No. 1927-2024-073-04, Notice of Determination, CEQAnet, Jan. 31, 2025.
- Section 21167, time limits for CEQA actions, California Public Resources Code via Justia, 2025.
About this article
Kern CRE prepared this article with help from AI research and writing tools. An editor reviewed the draft, checked its facts against the sources linked above and edited it for accuracy and clarity. Details come from public records and the sources cited; unless stated, Kern CRE and ASU Commercial were not involved in the transaction or project.