# Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Kern County, California > Kern County, California: 138 utility-scale solar plants, 5,692.8 MW (AC). Buckhead Energy buys solar lease payments and solar royalties. - URL: https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/california/kern - Last updated: 2026-11-01 - Publisher: Buckhead Energy (https://www.buckheadenergy.com/) - Format: full-content Markdown twin of the page (same content as the HTML; site navigation and footer removed) Breadcrumb: [Home](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/) › [Selling Solar Lease Payments and Solar Royalties](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties) › [California](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/california) › Kern County Quick answer Buckhead Energy buys solar lease payments and solar royalties. Kern County, California has 138 utility-scale solar plants of at least 1 MW, with 5,692.8 MW (AC) of capacity in total, according to the U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (version 4.0, released April 14, 2026). ## Utility-scale solar plants in Kern County The plants came online between 2009 and 2025.^\[1\] 115 of the 126 plants with a recorded mounting type use tracking systems that follow the sun, and 11 use fixed-tilt panels.^\[1\] 17 plants have battery storage on site.^\[1\] | Plant | Online | Capacity (MW AC) | Mounting | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Eland Solar & Storage Center, Phase 2 Hy | 2025 | 350 | Not recorded | | Eland Solar & Storage Center, Phase 1 Hy | 2024 | 309.6 | Tracking | | Solar Star 2 | 2015 | 279.5 | Tracking | | Chaparral Springs | 2025 | 262 | Not recorded | | Sandrini Solar 200 | 2024 | 200 | Tracking | | Golden Field Solar III, LLC | 2020 | 192 | Tracking | | RE Garland | 2016 | 180 | Tracking | | Springbok Solar Farm 2 | 2016 | 155 | Tracking | | Edwards Sanborn E1B | 2022 | 154.4 | Tracking | | North Rosamond Solar LLC | 2019 | 151.1 | Not recorded | | Northern Orchard Solar PV, LLC | 2025 | 150 | Not recorded | | Edwards Sanborn E1A | 2021 | 149.3 | Tracking | | Edwards Sanborn E4 | 2022 | 148.9 | Tracking | | Rosamond South 1 | 2025 | 140 | Not recorded | | Edwards Sanborn E2 | 2021 | 137.8 | Tracking | | BigBeau Solar, LLC | 2022 | 128 | Tracking | | Valentine Solar, LLC | 2019 | 111.2 | Tracking | | Catalina Solar, LLC | 2012 | 110 | Fixed tilt | | Springbok Solar Farm 1 | 2016 | 105 | Tracking | | Rabbitbrush Solar, LLC | 2022 | 100 | Tracking | | RE Astoria | 2016 | 100 | Tracking | | Sandrini Solar 100 | 2024 | 100 | Tracking | | Willow Spring Solar, LLC | 2019 | 100 | Tracking | | Springbok 3 Solar Farm Hybrid | 2019 | 90 | Tracking | | RE Astoria 2 | 2016 | 75 | Tracking | 113 smaller plants are not listed. Source: U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (USGS, LBNL), version 4.0, released April 14, 2026. Data compiled November 1, 2026. ## What the data means for solar lease owners in Kern County The oldest utility-scale solar plant in the county came online in 2009.^\[1\] Solar lease agreements can last 20 to 30 years.^\[2\] The newest came online in 2025.^\[1\] Federal guidance for farmers describes solar lease payments as typically structured as a fixed annual or monthly fee per acre, or as a percentage of the energy generated by the solar panels.^\[3\] Rent during the operations period will likely include an inflation adjustment, which may be tied to a measure like the Consumer Price Index or set at a fixed rate.^\[4\] ## Solar leases in California In 2025, Texas accounted for the largest share of total U.S. utility-scale solar electricity generation, followed by California.^\[5\] ## What you sell and what you keep What Buckhead buys depends on the deal, and Buckhead tells the seller up front which interest it is offering to buy — for example, the payments for the rest of the current lease term, a term easement, or a longer-term interest. Solar rent is paid period by period, the operations period may last 20 years or more, and renewals are at the developer's option.^\[4\] The land can be converted back to agricultural uses at the end of the installation's operational life.^\[3\] Educational information only — not legal, tax, or investment advice. The figures are public reference data, not a valuation or appraisal of any interest. Consult a qualified attorney, CPA, or landman about your specific situation. ## Frequently asked questions ### How many utility-scale solar plants are in Kern County, California? Kern County, California has 138 utility-scale solar plants of at least 1 MW, with 5,692.8 MW (AC) of capacity in total, according to the U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (version 4.0, released April 14, 2026).^\[1\] Utility-scale power plants have at least one megawatt of electricity generation capacity.^\[5\] ### Which solar plants operate in Kern County? The largest plants are Eland Solar & Storage Center, Phase 2 Hy (2025, 350 MW AC), Eland Solar & Storage Center, Phase 1 Hy (2024, 309.6 MW AC), Solar Star 2 (2015, 279.5 MW AC) and Chaparral Springs (2025, 262 MW AC).^\[1\] The next are Sandrini Solar 200 (2024, 200 MW AC), Golden Field Solar III, LLC (2020, 192 MW AC), RE Garland (2016, 180 MW AC) and Springbok Solar Farm 2 (2016, 155 MW AC), plus 17 more in the table above and 113 smaller ones the table does not list.^\[1\] ### Can I sell solar lease payments or royalties in Kern County? Buckhead Energy buys solar lease payments and solar royalties. What Buckhead buys depends on the deal, and Buckhead tells the seller up front which interest it is offering to buy — for example, the payments for the rest of the current lease term, a term easement, or a longer-term interest. ### When did solar plants in Kern County come online? Of the plants with a recorded year, one came online in the 2000s, 76 in the 2010s and 61 in the 2020s.^\[1\] Solar lease agreements can last 20 to 30 years.^\[2\] ### Which nearby California counties also have utility-scale solar plants? Nearby California counties with utility-scale solar plants include Los Angeles County (1,822.2 MW AC), Tulare County (934.6 MW AC), Santa Barbara County (64 MW AC), Kings County (1,513.8 MW AC) and San Luis Obispo County (853.2 MW AC).^\[1\] ## Related pages [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in California](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/california) [Selling Solar Lease Payments and Solar Royalties](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties) [Oil and gas mineral rights in Kern County, California](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/mineral-rights/california/kern) [Mineral rights in California](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/mineral-rights/california) [Wind Royalties and Lease Payments in Kern County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/wind-royalties/california/kern) [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Los Angeles County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/california/los-angeles) [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Tulare County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/california/tulare) [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Santa Barbara County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/california/santa-barbara) [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Kings County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/california/kings) [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in San Luis Obispo County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/california/san-luis-obispo) ## Sources \[1\] [U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (version 4.0, released April 14, 2026)](https://energy.usgs.gov/uspvdb/) — U.S. Geological Survey and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (accessed November 1, 2026) \[2\] [Solar Lease Considerations for Landowners](https://mytexas.ag.tamu.edu/publications/solar-lease-considerations-for-landowners/) — Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (accessed November 1, 2026) \[3\] [Farmer's Guide to Going Solar](https://www.energy.gov/cmei/systems/farmers-guide-going-solar) — U.S. Department of Energy (accessed November 1, 2026) \[4\] [Farmland Owner's Guide to Solar Leasing](https://nationalaglawcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/assets/articles/hall_solar_Leasing.pdf) — Ohio State University Extension and the National Agricultural Law Center (accessed November 1, 2026) \[5\] [Solar explained: Where solar is found and used](https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/solar/where-solar-is-found.php) — U.S. Energy Information Administration (accessed November 1, 2026) ## Ready to Sell Your Solar Lease Payments or Royalties? Buckhead Energy buys solar lease payments and solar royalties. [Get a Free Written Offer](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/sell#inquiry:source=%2Fsolar-lease-royalties%2Fcalifornia%2Fkern&county=Kern+County) ## Frequently Asked Questions **When did solar plants in Kern County come online?** Of the plants with a recorded year, one came online in the 2000s, 76 in the 2010s and 61 in the 2020s. Solar lease agreements can last 20 to 30 years. ## About Buckhead Energy Buckhead Energy is a direct buyer, not a broker — we purchase mineral and royalty interests with our own capital. Buckhead Energy buys mineral and royalty interests across all 50 states and has completed acquisitions in 33 states. Buckhead Energy has been buying mineral and royalty interests since 2006. Buckhead Energy holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Buckhead provides a free written offer. Buckhead Energy typically provides an offer within 24–48 hours. Closings typically take 30–45 days, subject to title review and clearance. Buckhead Energy's written offers stay open for 14 days. **Sell mineral rights:** https://www.buckheadenergy.com/sell **Operator directory:** https://www.buckheadenergy.com/operators