Know what you are authorizing when you sign
Start with the parcel number and confirm whether the proposed site is in unincorporated Kings County or within a city. Ask the developer to identify the planning office, existing zoning and proposed permit route. A mailing address or an agricultural zoning label alone does not answer whether a particular battery proposal can be approved.
The county-linked Uniform Application includes an owner certification and allows an authorized agent to sign. It also addresses additional owners and authority to sign for a corporation or trust. Read the application and the plans together before granting authority. Ask exactly what the developer may file, what changes need your consent and which documents you will receive.
The owner certification covers required improvements on and off the site. Have the developer identify those areas before you sign. Your agreement should address the cost of those improvements and any rights needed over your remaining property or someone else’s land. An application signature should not leave those questions unanswered.
Reference: Kings County: Uniform Application, linked by the county development-code directory · Kings County: Article 17, Conditional Use Permits
Check agricultural contracts on the actual property
Ask whether the land is subject to a Williamson Act contract, a Farmland Security Zone contract or other recorded agricultural restrictions. Have your adviser review the documents with the county for the proposed use. Do not assume that a battery project being considered on other farmland settles compatibility on yours.
The April 2026 Cherry staff report identifies a Farmland Security Zone contract on that project’s land and proposes compliance with county agricultural-preserve rules and the Williamson Act. This is a reason to investigate your own property’s obligations, rather than use that project as a blanket approval for agricultural land.
Ask the developer to explain any needed change, approval or recorded notice, who obtains it and who bears the cost if the proposal cannot proceed. Check how the battery area, access and utility rights would affect farming on the remainder. Keep rent, permit costs and any change to agricultural obligations distinct in the agreement.
Reference: Kings County: April 6, 2026 Planning Commission packet, Cherry BESS staff report and agency letters · Kings County: Uniform Application, linked by the county development-code directory
Find out which obligations survive a project split
If a proposal shares land or infrastructure with a solar project, ask for the full permit history. The Cherry notice filed in April 2026 describes dividing an earlier combined approval into separate Cherry BESS and Westlands VI permits to separate responsibilities. It also reports that mitigation measures were made conditions of approval and a monitoring plan was adopted.
Ask for the final decision, its conditions, the mitigation monitoring plan and any later amendments. A filing summary helps identify the project; it is not the complete set of obligations. The April hearing packet contains staff recommendations and an unsigned draft resolution, so obtain the adopted record before treating every proposed condition as final.
Have the developer explain who maintains shared roads, fencing, drainage and utility facilities, and who carries out each obligation inherited from an earlier approval. Put those responsibilities in writing. If the solar and battery facilities have different owners, identify who handles a problem affecting both and what happens when either project changes hands.
Reference: Kings County: Cherry BESS Notice of Determination, filed April 7, 2026 · Kings County: April 6, 2026 Planning Commission packet, Cherry BESS staff report and agency letters
Want to ask about your land?
Send the location and what you know. You don’t need a project plan.
Tell us about your landGet a restoration plan and understand its funding
Removal involves more than taking away battery containers. Ask what happens to foundations, buried equipment, cables and project roads, and what condition the soil must be in afterward. Document the land before construction so both parties have a reference for repairs and restoration.
The Cherry staff report proposed a soil reclamation plan, photographs of pre-construction conditions and financial assurance based on an engineer’s cost estimate. It also proposed periodic cost updates. These are useful items to request in a land agreement, but they are proposed conditions for that project, not a countywide promise that every facility has funded removal.
Ask to see the actual security instrument. Who can claim against it, what costs does it cover and when can it be released? Have your adviser check whether it protects obligations owed to you as well as obligations to the county. Address replacement security after a transfer and the outcome if the operator stops paying or abandons the facility.
Reference: Kings County: April 6, 2026 Planning Commission packet, Cherry BESS staff report and agency letters · Kings County: Article 17, Conditional Use Permits
Separate planning approval from utility and construction approval
Ask for a list of remaining approvals with the responsible party and expected cost for each. Article 17 distinguishes a conditional-use permit from later zoning clearance and building permits. Approval of a land use does not, by itself, authorize every construction activity or show that the facility can begin operating.
The March 4, 2026 PG&E letter in the Cherry packet says the proposed work did not appear to interfere directly with its existing facilities or land rights. It calls the review preliminary and directs a separate application if utility service is needed. That letter should not be read as a battery interconnection agreement or proof of available capacity.
Ask the developer what electrical studies and agreements exist for the proposed site, what remains unresolved and who pays for upgrades. Include the cable route and rights outside the battery fence. A nearby transmission line or another project’s utility correspondence does not establish a usable connection for your land.
Reference: Kings County: Article 17, Conditional Use Permits · Kings County: April 6, 2026 Planning Commission packet, Cherry BESS staff report and agency letters
Keep the rest of the farm usable
Have the site drawing show field entrances, irrigation facilities, drainage, emergency access and routes used by construction trucks. The county application requests access, watercourse, drainage and fire-protection information. Ask the developer how the proposed layout would affect those features on your property.
If a water district serves the land, ask it and the developer to confirm the project’s actual service arrangements. The Westlands Water District letter in the Cherry packet discusses eligibility to apply for service, conditions and possible pipeline or easement work. Eligibility is not confirmation that a particular water supply or connection has been secured, and that letter does not establish arrangements throughout Kings County.
Agree on who repairs damaged irrigation or roads, controls weeds around the project and maintains access after construction. To begin a conversation with Sunland America, use the form on this page to send your location, approximate acreage and contact details. Add any agricultural contract, shared access arrangement or existing offer you know about. You do not need to resolve the technical questions before getting in touch.
Reference: Kings County: Uniform Application, linked by the county development-code directory · Kings County: April 6, 2026 Planning Commission packet, Cherry BESS staff report and agency letters
Questions landowners ask
Does another Kings County battery permit mean my land qualifies?
No. Confirm the reviewing authority, zoning, agricultural contracts and proposed layout for your own parcel. A permit for another project does not establish approval or electrical capacity for your property.
What should I check before signing a county application?
Read the plans and owner certification, confirm who has authority to sign and identify any required work outside the battery area. Set limits on the developer’s authority and agree on who pays before signing.
Can battery storage be placed on land with an agricultural contract?
That requires review of the actual contract, parcel and proposed use. The Cherry staff report identifies agricultural-contract obligations for its site. It does not give blanket permission for other contracted farmland.
What if the battery facility is separated from a solar project?
Ask for the full approval history and final conditions. Identify which mitigation duties and shared facilities belong to each operator, including maintenance and what happens after a transfer.
Does a county removal bond protect me automatically?
Do not assume it does. Obtain the instrument and have your adviser check its beneficiaries, covered costs, claim rights and release terms. Your agreement needs clear protection for the obligations owed to you.
Is a preliminary PG&E land-rights review a connection approval?
No. The letter in the Cherry packet is a preliminary review of effects on existing facilities and land rights. Ask for the actual electrical studies and agreements for the proposed facility, along with unresolved work and costs.
What can I send Sunland America about my Kings County property?
Start with the location, acreage and your contact details. A parcel number, access information, agricultural contracts and an existing offer can help. Optional details should not prevent you from starting the conversation.
Sources & further reading
County-linked application and conditional-use chapter, the filed Cherry BESS notice and relevant April 2026 packet sections checked October 8, 2026. The packet contains recommendations and an unsigned draft resolution; its proposed conditions are examples, not confirmed final requirements for another parcel. Confirm current county procedures, amendments and the complete approval record for the actual proposal. No electrical capacity, lease value or project availability is established here. Local rules and program details can change. Check the requirements for the actual project.
- Kings County: Article 17, Conditional Use Permits
- Kings County: Uniform Application, linked by the county development-code directory
- Kings County: Cherry BESS Notice of Determination, filed April 7, 2026
- Kings County: April 6, 2026 Planning Commission packet, Cherry BESS staff report and agency letters