Open Space Authority Statement on AES Decision Not to Move Forward with Proposed Battery Storage Project in Coyote Valley

The following was posted to the AES website on Monday, August 2, 2026: After careful consideration, AES has decided not to move forward with the proposed Jewelflower Battery Energy Storage project. No permit application had been submitted for the project. 

Read the full AES announcement here: https://www.aes.com/sustainability-impact/people-communities/projects/jewelflower

"We are very pleased by this outcome and deeply grateful to everyone who saw the value in protecting Coyote Valley and the many benefits it provides," said Marc Landgraf, Assistant General Manager of the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority.  

"It's become abundantly clear that the public's intent for Coyote Valley's future is conservation. That's reflected in what we've heard from the elected leaders who represent this area, and it's consistent with the substantial and continuing public and private investment in conservation happening throughout Coyote Valley. 

The Open Space Authority is proud to steward the Coyote Valley Conservation Program Area on the public's behalf, and we're grateful to all the partners and stakeholders who have worked together to build a climate-resilient, wildlife-friendly, and agriculturally supportive vision for this treasured landscape. 

The Open Space Authority remains strongly supportive of the advancement of alternative energy regionally and in California. We just need to work collaboratively to site them in appropriate locations." 

Background:

On May 28, 2026, the Santa Clara Valley Open  Space Authority's Board of Directors voted unanimously to formally oppose the proposed Jewelflower project due to the proposed project's location within the Coyote Valley Conservation Program Area.  

Coyote Valley is one of the most significant remaining wildlife corridors in the Bay Area, linking over 1.1 million acres between the Santa Cruz Mountains and Diablo Range, and recognized in state statute (AB 948, Kalra, 2019) as a landscape of statewide significance. More than $160 million in public and private investment has gone into conserving the valley's farmland and open space for wildlife movement, groundwater recharge and climate resilience.