Litigation brought upon the CSD by several residents resulted in the CSD banning grazing agreements and an undisclosed settlement amount. Other activities of interest in California Valley include an Indian sweat lodge, hot air ballooning, bird-watching, and astronomy, due to clear skies and no light pollution. In particular, Highway 58 is a popular route for car and motorcycle touring enthusiasts due to very low traffic and winding roads. With the recent surge (and equally sudden decline) in oil prices, along with state emphasis on development of renewable energy sources, solar energy firms have studied California Valley and adjacent areas for siting possible solar power generating facilities. As the area is one of the sunniest in the United States, and competition from other economically self-sustaining land uses has been minimal, several such facilities are already under consideration. Two solar plants, California Valley Solar Ranch 250MW (SunPower) and Topaz Solar Farm 550MW (First Solar/MidAmerican) are under construction and already providing power to the state grid; another smaller plant, by Ausra, was purchased by First Solar and incorporated into Topaz Solar Farm. The combined Ausra and OptiSolar projects make Topaz Solar Farm one of the largest photovoltaic power plants in the world. The two projects, about 10 miles apart, also represent two of the largest solar power contracts for Pacific Gas & Electric Company, which is under state mandate to increase its supply of renewable electricity to 33 percent by 2020. See also Carrizo Plain California Valley Airport Painted Rock References External links Carrisa Plains School Shandon/Carrizo Area Plan, Land Use and Circulation Element, General Plan, County of San Luis Obispo Carrizo Plain National Monument California Valley zoning standards supplement SLO County Grand Jury investigation into California Valley CSD California Valley Community Services District Atascadero Chamber of Commerce page Airport Details mentioned in 2/08 letter to California Energy Commission regarding solar farm plan. California Valley Weather by Weather Underground Carrizo Plain Weather by MesoWest, University of Utah gMaps: MesoWest WX sensor site, about 20mi.SE of CA Valley TopoZone USGS Map excerpt Unincorporated communities in San Luis Obispo County, California Unincorporated communities in California