Background on the case
The proposed 600-acre Jacumba Valley Solar Energy Park next to the small town of Jacumba Hot Springs has faced ongoing opposition since 2015 from residents who argue it will overwhelm the rural desert community. However, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved the project in 2021. The developer, BayWa r.e., has tried to address concerns but a lawsuit is still pending from the Jacumba Community Sponsor Group seeking to block the utility-scale solar farm. If built, it would generate 90 megawatts of power for San Diego Community Power. There are disagreements about impacts to views, tourism, and cultural resources. It remains uncertain if preliminary work underway will lead to full construction or if community opponents will succeed in halting the solar farm.
Learn more
The proposed Jacumba Valley Solar Energy Park has been controversial since BayWa r.e. first proposed the project in 2015. The solar farm would be located on 600 acres of land immediately adjacent to the small desert town of Jacumba Hot Springs, with a population of less than 600 1. In 2021, after contentious public hearings, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved the project in a 5-0 vote 2. However, the Jacumba Community Sponsor Group and local residents remain opposed and have filed a lawsuit seeking to block the project. A hearing is scheduled for June 2022 1.
The developer for the project is BayWa r.e., an international renewable energy company that has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with San Diego Community Power to buy the electricity generated 2. The solar farm would install up to 220,000 photovoltaic solar modules capable of generating 90 megawatts of power and 267,000 megawatt-hours of energy per year, enough for approximately 60,000 homes 1 2. The project would also include a 70-megawatt storage facility with lithium-ion batteries, an on-site substation, and a switchyard 3.
Opponents argue the solar farm's massive size would dwarf Jacumba Hot Springs and ruin the rural desert community's character, tourism economy, and property values 3 4. The developer has tried to address concerns by spending $4 million on community benefits and reducing the project's footprint, but residents say it's not about the money 2. There are also concerns about impacts to cultural resources and local tribes were consulted 5. Some feel the glare from the reflective panels will negatively impact views and the area's natural beauty 6.
Currently, some preliminary work on ground leveling has begun but litigation is still pending 1. It remains to be seen whether the solar farm will move forward as planned or if opponents will succeed in blocking the project.
Our process
Jacumba residents and participants in our conversations met in a workshop to engage in a collaborative sensemaking process, identifying key themes to help organize analysis of conversation highlights. We hosted the workshop at the Highlands Community Center, a trusted local place of gathering for many Jacumba Hot Springs residents.
Through this process, we identified five key themes and 15 subthemes that were used to code the conversations recorded with residents in Jacumba.
Home
abstract feelings of belonging, family, friendship, community, safety, security, stability, comfort, tight-knit, openness
connection to the land, tracing origins, appreciation of built and natural environment, narrative of movement and roots, structure
digital divide, feelings of neglect, quietness, rural character, coastal elite, inequitable access to resources, resentment, education, healthcare, affordability, language barriers, inequality
Fairness
participatory planning, genuine community engagement, fairness in decision-making, accessibility of public process
community benefits agreement, electricity costs and burden, access to community-owned energy
recognition and redress of past harms, Tribal sovereignty, remorse, empathy
Stewardship
water, waste, ecological impacts, connections to the outdoors, pollution, wildlife preservation, conservation, reuse, self-sufficiency, resilience, looking out for community members
sustainability, energy transition, concern for unknown others, abstract notions of planetary preservation
Uncertainty
instability in leadership, lack of incentive to participate, fear of change, ideological extremism
unemployment, local revenue, financial returns, community reinvestment, revitalization
lack of resources, competition, extractivism, local control of resources, not enough to go around
Trust/Distrust
accessibility of public forums, comfort in speaking up, feelings of accurate representation, trust in democratic process, place-based connection, corruption
inclusive local discussions, strong coalitions, respect of diverse values, manipulative behaviors
local experts, institutions, stable governance, genuine consultation, building long-term relationships
evaluating expertise, social media, community bulletins, communication
Results
From coding the two conversations in Jacumba according to the collaboratively identified themes, several notable patterns are revealed.
2
conversations
145
highlights
10
speakers
58
minutes
Based on the patterns observed above, a few key insights emerge.
Trust and fairness
are overrepresented in the data, with 188 tags despite only relating to 3 questions in the script
Uncertainty isn’t hopeful
in its mentions, with 91.8% of tags associated with negativity—and this pattern is similar across subthemes
Home and stewardship
are overwhelmingly positive themes, but with a local focus:
→ 94.3% positive mentions of local stewardship, compared to only 60.0% positive mentions of global stewardship
→ 85.9% overall positive mentions of home, but only 57.1% positive mentions of urban vs. rural
👂🏻 Now, take a listen
Below, a few example highlights are included that closely demonstrate the specific subthemes identified in our workshop. Feel free to hit play and listen to what our participants had to say!
Belonging
super-embed:
<iframe src="https://embed.lvn.org/?hid=5271051" width="100%" height="225" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" style="max-width: 570px; margin: 0 auto; display: block"></iframe>super-embed:
<iframe src="https://embed.lvn.org/?hid=5269472" width="100%" height="225" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" style="max-width: 570px; margin: 0 auto; display: block"></iframe>Place-based attachment
Urban vs. rural
super-embed:
<iframe src="https://embed.lvn.org/?hid=5271071" width="100%" height="225" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" style="max-width: 570px; margin: 0 auto; display: block"></iframe>super-embed:
<iframe src="https://embed.lvn.org/?hid=5271173" width="100%" height="225" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" style="max-width: 570px; margin: 0 auto; display: block"></iframe>Trust in elected officials
Trust in community
super-embed:
<iframe src="https://embed.lvn.org/?hid=5271162" width="100%" height="225" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" style="max-width: 570px; margin: 0 auto; display: block"></iframe>super-embed:
<iframe src="https://embed.lvn.org/?hid=5271119" width="100%" height="225" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" style="max-width: 570px; margin: 0 auto; display: block"></iframe>Trust in external actors
Trust in information/media
super-embed:
<iframe src="https://embed.lvn.org/?hid=5269604" width="100%" height="225" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" style="max-width: 570px; margin: 0 auto; display: block"></iframe>super-embed:
<iframe src="https://embed.lvn.org/?hid=5269597" width="100%" height="225" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" style="max-width: 570px; margin: 0 auto; display: block"></iframe>Procedural Fairness
Distributional Fairness
super-embed:
<iframe src="https://embed.lvn.org/?hid=5271068" width="100%" height="225" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" style="max-width: 570px; margin: 0 auto; display: block"></iframe>super-embed:
<iframe src="https://embed.lvn.org/?hid=5271115" width="100%" height="225" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" style="max-width: 570px; margin: 0 auto; display: block"></iframe>Recognitional Fairness
Local Stewardship
super-embed:
<iframe src="https://embed.lvn.org/?hid=5271145" width="100%" height="225" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" style="max-width: 570px; margin: 0 auto; display: block"></iframe>super-embed:
<iframe src="https://embed.lvn.org/?hid=5271064" width="100%" height="225" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" style="max-width: 570px; margin: 0 auto; display: block"></iframe>Global Stewardship
Political Uncertainty
super-embed:
<iframe src="https://embed.lvn.org/?hid=5271108" width="100%" height="225" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" style="max-width: 570px; margin: 0 auto; display: block"></iframe>super-embed:
<iframe src="https://embed.lvn.org/?hid=5271129" width="100%" height="225" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" style="max-width: 570px; margin: 0 auto; display: block"></iframe>Economic Uncertainty
Scarcity
super-embed:
<iframe src="https://embed.lvn.org/?hid=5271170" width="100%" height="225" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" style="max-width: 570px; margin: 0 auto; display: block"></iframe>