Two New Projects Add 1.35 GW of Solar-Battery Capacity to California Grid

Energy developer Arevon Vitality Inc. is betting large on renewable vitality and battery storage in southern California, beginning and finishing development this month on two initiatives totaling 1.35 GW of capability and $2.6 billion of funding—together with one of many largest such mixed installations within the U.S.

The corporate has launched work on the 300-MW/1,200-MWhour Nighthawk Vitality Storage Mission, a lithium iron phosphate battery storage system to serve Pacific Gasoline and Electrical Co. prospects within the San Diego metro space. San Jose builder Rosendin is EPC contractor for the estimated $600-million undertaking set to function subsequent yr that may hyperlink photo voltaic and wind vitality to a substation on the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar base, Arevon mentioned. 

Development is anticipated to make use of greater than 130 staff at peak, it added. 

“Nighthawk and different utility-scale battery methods enable electrical energy to be saved throughout low demand durations after which effectively discharged onto the grid, responding shortly at excessive demand and very important durations,” mentioned an Arevon spokesman. 

With its begin coming six months after a $400-million fireplace at Vistra Vitality’s Moss Touchdown battery array close to Monterey, Arevon CEO Kevin Smith mentioned Nighthawk’s undertaking design contains added security measures “and can comprise the most secure and most superior batteries in the marketplace.” 

Arevon has partnered with the Poway, Calif., Fireplace Dept. to develop a hearth prevention and response plan and supply coaching particular to the Tesla battery packs for use. Fisher Engineering is offering third-party fireplace safety engineering evaluation. The union-built undertaking, first introduced in 2021, is absolutely permitted and qualifies for home content material tax credit accessible below the Inflation Discount Act, Arevon mentioned. 

Photo voltaic-Battery Big

Additionally no beginning operation is the finishing section of Arevon’s record-setting $2-billion Eland Photo voltaic-plus-Storage Mission in Kern County, 80 miles north of Los Angeles. Largest to be in-built California and among the many largest throughout the nation, It combines 758 MW of photo voltaic vitality with 300 MW/1,200 MWh of lithium iron phosphate battery storage. Builder SOLV Vitality has been EPC contractor for the two-phase undertaking. 

With 1.36 million photo voltaic panels and 172 batteries, Eland is ready to produce 7% of Los Angeles energy below long-term agreements with the Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Energy and Glendale Water and Energy Dept. The previous has dedicated to a 25-year contract for Eland energy, which the LA Occasions mentioned is valued at $1.5 billion and supplies it an possibility to purchase the generator outright, probably after a decade of operation

Janisse Quiñones, the LA energy company CEO and chief engineer, mentioned Eland will enhance metropolis clear vitality provide to 64%, with a purpose of 100% by 2035. It “marks an necessary step ahead in our vitality transition and dedication,” she said, including that it’s the division’s largest solar-battery storage mixed undertaking.

Arevon mentioned it owns and operates greater than 4.7 GW of photo voltaic and vitality storage initiatives in 17 states, together with 3.2 MW in California, and is constructing 1.5 GW extra of latest capability.

California already has probably the most utility-scale battery storage methods nationwide however it’s set for a brand new document, with development to begin this yr on what developer Intersect Energy mentioned would be the world’s largest solar and battery storage project in western Fresno County.