City-owned land in Central California soon will see a privately-owned solar plant that is expected to be in operation by the end of the year.

Construction has begun on land west of the Porterville airport to install more than 29,000 solar panels that will supply about 4,300 homes with energy. The plant is expected to be one of California's largest privately-owned solar plants and the panels will be installed directly on the ground.

"We're going to put electricity directly into the neighborhood circuits and thus avoiding the need to build a transmission line to remote areas," according to plant owner Southern California Edison.

The project also will provide temporary jobs for about 125 people.

The plant owners are leasing the land from Porterville, which hopes to benefit the local economy with the $70,000 it earns in annual rent.

"The property that is being used by Edison for this solar field is part of our industrial complex," city manager John Lollis said. It "is part of the airport area so now we can use these funds to further economic development in that area."