Solar plus storage infographic

SVCE Signs Major Contracts for California’s Largest Solar-Plus-Storage Projects

New renewable energy developments will provide grid stability with utility-scale storage

Sunnyvale, Calif. – Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) signed two long-term agreements for the largest utility-scale, solar-plus-storage projects to be built in California. The two projects will provide 153 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity and 47 MW/187 MWh of storage and will be developed by EDF Renewables North America and Recurrent Energy Development Holdings, LLC. (Recurrent). These projects will come online in 2021 and will harness enough energy to power 39,000 homes annually.

Building storage in addition to solar turns the sun’s energy into a resource that can be used on demand, rather than only when the sun is shining. These projects will combine solar panels with large batteries to store energy that the sun produces during the day so that more clean energy can be discharged onto the grid during times of high energy usage in the evening.

Solar plus storage infographic

“As a Community Choice Energy agency, we’re proud to partner on these groundbreaking developments that not only increase the long-term supply of renewables to our customers, but also make the electricity grid cleaner,” says Courtenay Corrigan, SVCE Board Chair. “These projects show our maturity as an agency, our financial strength and our continued commitment to decarbonization.”

“We are excited to help California lead the transition to clean, reliable and flexible energy,” said Girish Balachandran, CEO of Silicon Valley Clean Energy. “These new renewable energy projects are a significant investment towards reaching our state’s carbon-free energy goals and contribute to solving the state’s grid integration problem by investing in large grid-scale energy storage.”

The contracts are the result of a competitive bidding process that began in September 2017. SVCE’s collaboration with its neighboring Community Choice Energy agency, Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP) took advantage of economies of scale for the combined four counties, allowing for more purchasing power to invest in these long-term agreements. The two agencies issued a joint RFO which received over 80 offers for new projects that were in various stages of development. The overwhelming response represents the vast amount of interest in new renewable energy development that continues to grow.

Recurrent Energy’s Mustang solar photovoltaic project
Recurrent Energy’s Mustang solar photovoltaic project located nearby the Slate project in Kings County, California, came online in 2016. The project powers 25,000 homes under long-term power purchase agreements with Sonoma Clean Power and MCE.

The RE Slate 1 project, developed by Recurrent, will be built in Kings County and is a 15-year agreement which includes 150 MW of solar capacity and 45 MW/180 MWh of storage. The BigBeau Solar project, developed by EDF Renewables North America, will be built in Kern County and is a 20-year agreement which includes 128 MW of solar capacity and 40 MW/160 MWh of storage.

These projects will support approximately 840 jobs during construction. SVCE will receive 55% of the output, and MBCP will receive 45%.

SVCE signed long-term power purchase agreements with each developer, ensuring that customers will be receiving clean power from California renewables for years to come.

###

About Silicon Valley Clean Energy

Silicon Valley Clean Energy is a community-owned agency serving the majority of Santa Clara County communities, acquiring clean, carbon-free electricity on behalf of more than 270,000 residential and commercial customers. As a public agency, net revenues are returned to the community to keep rates low and promote clean energy programs. Member jurisdictions include Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Saratoga, Sunnyvale and unincorporated Santa Clara County. SVCE is guided by a Board of Directors, which is comprised of a representative from the governing body of each member community. For more information, please visit SVCleanEnergy.org.

Media Contact
Pamela Leonard
Communications Manager
O: 408-721-5301 x1004
pamela.leonard@svcleanenergy.org