52.8

Risk Grade

Fair

Dense Peninsula county with Coastal Commission jurisdiction, Santa Cruz Mountains terrain, and no viable utility-scale land; risk reflects practical impossibility of utility-scale development; Peninsula Clean Energy CCA provides high renewable content procurement; strong distributed solar market; among least viable utility-scale counties in California due to geography and density

Assessment Snapshot

Population

762000

State Rank

#32

Compliance

60%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

N/A utility-scale; standard residential/commercial rooftop setbacks

Zoning Mechanism

Building permit for rooftop; utility-scale not applicable given land constraints

Acreage Caps

N/A utility-scale

Size Restrictions

N/A utility-scale

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Strongly progressive; Peninsula Clean Energy CCA widely adopted; rooftop and distributed solar broadly deployed; utility-scale not relevant to county context

Basis for Assessment

Peninsula Clean Energy CCA annual reports; San Mateo County Planning records; CA Energy Commission

Political Risk Factors

Progressive; Peninsula Clean Energy CCA; strong clean energy support but no utility-scale land

Board Members

Dave Pine | D | 2026; Carole Groom | D | 2026; Don Horsley | D | 2026; Warren Slocum | D | 2028; David Canepa | D | 2028

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

CAISO — PG&E Balancing Authority (Peninsula Clean Energy CCA)

Utilities

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) — distribution, Peninsula Clean Energy (CCA)

State Permitting Process

County zoning + CEQA review required; CEC siting jurisdiction for projects >50 MW on state/federal land; Coastal Commission review for coastal zone; DRECP DFAs streamline desert county permitting

State Incentives

Federal ITC eligible; California Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) for storage; CA Renewables Portfolio Standard procurement; CPUC approved procurement programs

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

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San Mateo County, CA — Solar Development Risk Assessment