The North American arm of EDF Renewables has signed two 20-year solar-plus-storage deals in California.
The company said the agreements are for its Big Beau Solar+Storage (BBSS) Project in Kern County.
The agreements have been signed with Silicon Valley Clean Energy, which will purchase 55% of the systems output, and Monterey Bay Community Power, which will purchase the remaining 45%.
The BBSS project boasts 128MWac solar generation, which is combined with a 40MW/160MWh battery storage system. The electricity generated at full capacity is “enough to meet the consumption of up to 64,000 average California homes.” This is expected to prevent 315,000 metric tons of CO2 annually.
“Solar development has been a hallmark of California’s renewable energy boom and with the storage component, we can realise the full potential of solar generation,” said Girish Balachandran, CEO of Silicon Valley Clean Energy.
“EDF Renewables is pleased to be selected by SVCE and MBCP”, said Valerie Barros, director of renewables at EDF Renewables. “The inclusion of storage provides the agencies with a 100% clean and partially dispatchable product, allowing them to mitigate the ‘duck curve’ risk and monetise price spikes.”
The project is expected to achieve commercial operation by year-end 2021.