What was set to be a 2010 groundbreaking for the Antelope Valley (AV) Solar One Farm in Los Angeles County just got complicated when an unlikely source objected to the plans. Leading global security firm Northrop Grumman is attempting to delay construction of the Antelope Valley Solar One Farm and potentially halt the building of the massive PV array all together.

Northrop is citing concern that the AV Solar One Farm could impact a sensitive area that the military installation uses to test stealth aircraft and detection evasion technology. The company wants to delay the project into the next year, which would cause the AV Solar One Farm to miss out on the New Year’s Eve 2010 deadline for federal subsidy and stimulus funding.

"It is important that this project move forward, not only for Los Angeles County, but in order to achieve the policy objectives of the state of California," Schwarzenegger wrote Monday to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

The AV Solar One Farm is set to be a 230 megawatt installation and to provide power to Pacific Gas & Electric who has already signed a 25-year contract to purchase the entire output from the AV. Developer First Solar Inc. notes the solar farm will generate jobs for the hard-hit region of Southern California and help the state build its renewable portfolio.

“The project will help California meet its renewable energy goals, generating enough clean, sustainable electricity to power approximately 75,000 homes, and displacing greenhouse gas emission equivalent to taking about 30,000 cars per year off the road,” said Alan Bernheimer, corporate communications director, North America for First Solar, Inc. “It will also provide about 400 green construction jobs for several years in an area particularly hard hit by the recession.”

First Solar Inc. said an independent study found there would be “no significant effect” on operations at Northrop Grumman. Los Angeles County officials agree. Northrop Grumman, on the other hand, wants more time to determine if said study was indeed correct.

Upon planned completion in 2013, the AV Solar One Farm would become the nation’s largest solar electricity generating plant.

Image courtesy of Northrop Grumman.