DOE Announces $325 Million for Long-Duration Energy Storage Projects
September 24, 2023
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
September 24, 2023
The U.S. Department of Energy on Sept. 22 announced up to $325 million for 15 projects across 17 states and one tribal nation to accelerate the development of long-duration energy storage technologies.
The announcement will help DOE realize its Long Duration Storage Shot goal of reducing the cost of LDES by 90% by 2030, DOE said.
Projects selected will feature a range of intraday (10 to 36 hours) and multiday (36 to 160+ hours) storage solutions, which can minimize the frequency and length of power interruptions caused by events such as severe weather or cyberattacks on the grid.
Some selected projects seek to pursue innovative approaches to the re-use and recycling of retired batteries—supporting the growing domestic electric vehicle industry and creating new economic opportunities while delivering environmental benefits to communities across the country.
A full list of projects selected for award negotiations under the FOA is available here.
DOE also announced six projects selected for the LDES Lab Call to demonstrate technology innovations and resiliency advantages in national labs at a range of scales. More information on the six selected lab call projects is available here.
Selection for award negotiations is not a commitment by DOE to issue an award or provide funding. Before funding is issued, DOE and the applicants will undergo a negotiation process, and DOE may cancel negotiations and rescind the selection for any reason during that time.
Developer Investigating Recent Fire at California Energy Storage Facility
September 23, 2023
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
September 23, 2023
Terra-Gen, a renewable energy developer, is launching an investigation of a recent fire at a battery storage unit in Valley Center, Calif.
The fire took place on the afternoon of Sept. 18 at a Terra-Gen energy storage facility located in San Diego County, Calif.
The Valley Center Energy Storage Facility is a stand-alone 139-megawatt energy storage project.
The four-hour lithium-ion battery energy storage system is connected to a nearby San Diego Gas & Electric substation and has contracted with the investor-owned utility to provide power under a 15-year Resource Adequacy contract.
In response to the fire, the Valley Center Fire Department, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and other appropriate agencies were dispatched. They addressed the incident and left the premises around 9:15 p.m.
The facility’s design systems kept the incident contained. Terra-Gen personnel remained on scene to ensure no additional issues occurred.
A San Diego County Hazardous Materials team monitored the air and water around the site during the incident and found no hazardous conditions.
Now that the incident is over, Terra-Gen said it will investigate the cause of the fire with the support of the Valley Center Fire Department.
In September 2022, a fire occurred at Pacific Gas & Electric’s Moss Landing battery storage facility in California. The fire was isolated to a single battery pack at the facility, according to the County of Monterey, Calif.
New York Governor Forms Working Group to Examine Energy Storage System Safety
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul this summer announced the creation of a new Inter-Agency Fire Safety Working Group to ensure the safety and security of energy storage systems across the state, following fire incidents at facilities in the state this summer.
State agencies will begin immediate inspections of energy storage sites, and the Working Group will help prevent fires and ensure emergency responders have the necessary training and information to prepare and deploy resources in the event of a fire.
Saying that fires at energy storage facilities are exceedingly rare, Hochul’s office noted that she has directed the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Office of Fire Prevention and Control, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of Public Service and the Department of State to lead the Working Group. The Working Group will examine energy storage facility fires and safety standards.
CPS Energy Issues RFP for up to 500 MW of Energy Storage Systems
September 19, 2023
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
September 19, 2023
Texas public power utility CPS Energy has launched a request for proposals for up to 500 megawatts of energy storage systems.
The RFP is part of the utility’s power generation plan approved by the utility’s Board of Trustees earlier this year.
Projects under this RFP may be diverse and responses are welcomed from both large-scale and smaller sized projects, the utility said.
“We worked closely with our Board of Trustees and community to approve a generation plan that will provide power for our fast-growing community,” said Rudy D. Garza, President and CEO of CPS Energy. “We are casting a large net through this RFP process and are excited to secure more resources to meet that growth.”
The addition of more storage resources strengthens the utility’s future power generation portfolio by adding flexible resources that can quickly respond to changes in customer demand or grid conditions, it noted.
This aligns with CPS Energy’s Vision 2027 “to evolve and serve the community now, and into the future. These smaller scale projects can be strategically placed at different locations within the CPS Energy service area, providing another tool to meet community growth and the ability to improve reliability in specific locations,” CPS Energy said.
The RFP will be the first time CPS Energy has issued a notice solely for standalone storage projects. Past RFPs have included storage as an overall component.
This is the third RFP that CPS Energy has launched this year as part of its approved power generation plan.
The first was for up to 700 MW of solar generation, and another for up to 50 MW of community solar.
All participants can view the RFP and must submit information here.
Proposals are due Oct. 18, 2023.
After the closing date, CPS Energy will begin evaluations with a goal of making selections by the end of the year.
California CCAs Announce Commissioning of New Large-Scale Solar and Energy Storage Project
September 17, 2023
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
September 17, 2023
Executives from Central Coast Community Energy and Silicon Valley Clean Energy recently announced the commissioning for Yellow Pine Solar I, a large-scale solar and battery energy storage project.
Yellow Pine Solar I, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, located in Clark County, Nev., will generate up to 125 megawatts of electricity and has a four-hour, 65 MW capacity of battery energy storage.
Including the recently commissioned Yellow Pine project, the two community choice aggregators have signed 11 joint power purchase agreements, totaling 1,313 MW of clean energy and 316 MW of storage to date.
Company Unveils Plans for 200-MW Energy Storage Project in Southern California
September 14, 2023
by Peter Maloney
APPA News
September 14, 2023
LS Energy Solutions plans to deploy a 200-megawatt, 400-megawatt hour energy storage project in Southern California.
Gore Street Energy Storage Fund plans to use the electrical output of the storage project to provide resource adequacy and ancillary services to the California Independent System Operator market.
Avantus, which originally developed the Big Rock storage project in Imperial County, in February sold it to London-based Gore Street Energy Storage Fund, which is managed by Gore Street Capital.
Big Rock will be operated at 100 MW of deliverability to supply 400 MWh and meet the four-hour discharge needs of a resource adequacy contract, contributing to the available capacity and reserves needed by CAISO to maintain supply and demand in real time, LS Energy Solutions said in a statement.
“The remaining 100 MW not immediately reserved for RA will be directed towards the growing ancillary services and wholesale trading opportunities available to energy storage systems in California,” said David Pratt, communications officer for Gore Street Capital.
LS Energy Solutions said construction on the Big Rock project is expected to begin soon with the facility coming online in the second half of 2024.
The Big Rock project calls for the deployment of 137 AiON-ESS energy storage units that are being provided by LS Energy Solutions. Each AiON-ESS container has a power rating of 1.5 MW and can store 3.5 MWh. Along with tier-1 lithium-ion batteries, the 137 containers also include over 1,300 of LS Energy Solutions’ modular 140-kilovolt amp AiON-SIS string inverters.
In addition to supplying the AiON-ESS energy storage containers, LS Energy Solutions said it would also provide commissioning support and operational services, including extended warranty, preventative maintenance, capacity maintenance and system remote monitoring for the life of the project.
The Big Rock project will be one of the largest energy storage projects in Imperial County, LS Energy Solutions said.
In July, the California Independent System Operator said total battery storage on its grid had increased to 5,600 MW from about 500 MW three years ago. CAISO attributed to the rapid increase in energy storage to a series of storage procurement orders authorized by the California Public Utilities Commission requiring regulated utilities to add storage to their portfolios.
The increase in energy storage capability “has significantly improved our ability to manage through challenging grid conditions,” Elliot Mainzer, CAISO’s president and CEO, said at the time.
Company Completes Commissioning of Energy Storage Systems Delivered to SMUD
September 12, 2023
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
September 12, 2023
ESS Tech Inc. has completed the commissioning of six energy storage systems delivered to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, a California public power utility.
The six Energy Warehouse systems represent the first delivery under a framework agreement first announced in September 2022.
Under that agreement, ESS will deliver up to 200 megawatts/2 gigawatt-hours of iron flow long duration energy storage systems to SMUD.
Once fully operational and paired with renewable energy, 2 GWh of iron flow battery systems are expected to enable the elimination of approximately 284,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year from SMUD’s system, ESS said.
With the arrival of the units, SMUD prepares for the next phases of integrating the system into its clean power portfolio. Once operational, SMUD will also train staff on utility-scale applications and clean energy dispatch of long-duration battery systems.
ESS technology directly supports the utility’s 2030 Clean Energy Vision “by enabling increased utilization of renewable energy, providing neighborhood resiliency, and promoting social justice and equity with safe and sustainable energy storage infrastructure and reduced emissions,” ESS said.
In addition to deploying critical energy storage technology, ESS and SMUD plan to establish a Center of Excellence for energy storage manufacturing in Sacramento.
The COE will be established in partnership with local educational institutions and will provide workforce training and support economic development in the greater Sacramento region.
Former Coal Plant Sites Get Second Life with Energy Storage Systems
September 11, 2023
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
September 11, 2023
Coal plant sites are becoming an increasingly attractive location for utility and energy storage development companies across the U.S. to site new energy storage systems.
Among the advantages of placing energy storage projects at coal plant sites is the ability to reuse existing infrastructure and grid interconnection rights.
Holyoke Gas & Electric Solar Plus Storage Project Built Next to Coal Plant Site
In 2018, ENGIE North America and Massachusetts public power utility Holyoke Gas & Electric unveiled a utility-scale energy storage system at a ceremony at the Mt. Tom Solar Farm in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
Owned and operated by ENGIE North America, the Mt. Tom energy storage system is a 3 MW/6 MWh utility-scale lithium-ion battery and the second such system to be installed in the state, which went commercial in 2018.
The battery draws power directly from the Mt. Tom Solar system, which is the largest community solar project in Massachusetts and is stored for use during peak demand periods.
The system is located adjacent to the former Mt. Tom Coal Plant along the Connecticut River, which ceased operation in 2014.
HG&E currently has a 20-year power purchase agreement with ENGIE.
“Since commercial operation commenced in 2018, the Mt Tom Solar + Battery Storage System continues to stabilize HG&E and ratepayer costs during periods of peak demand and volatile pricing, reduce stress on the local distribution infrastructure, and contribute to the regions low carbon goals,” Kate Sullivan Craven, Director of Marketing & Communications for Holyoke Gas & Electric, told Public Power Current.
“We appreciate ENGIE North America’s innovation that transformed the property into a state-of-the-art facility for the benefit of the local community,” she said.
“The people of Holyoke, Massachusetts, and our valued customer, Holyoke Gas & Electric, were on the vanguard in welcoming this pairing of technology into their community as we worked to transform the Mt. Tom site from coal to one producing power from solar + battery storage,” said Julie Vitek, Vice President, Government & Regulatory Affairs at ENGIE.
“The benefits have been real, both environmentally and for grid reliability. With the support of Holyoke’s citizens and HG&E, we were able to breathe new life into this retired coal plant site,” she said.
Study Examined Repurposing of Coal Plant into Energy Storage System
A report funded through a Department of Energy grant examined a scenario that called for repurposing a Duke Energy coal plant into an energy storage system by integrating the retiring asset with a Malta long duration Pumped Heat Energy Storage system (PHES).
“The project validated the technoeconomic benefits of repurposing retiring coal plants into long-duration energy storage using Malta’s PHES,” the report said.
From a technical standpoint, key findings detailed in the report were as follows:
- Retiring coal plants (and other steam turbine fossil generation) can be repurposed to enable the clean energy transition using Malta’s technology;
- For older retiring coal plants, repurposing the site and electrical interconnection for a standalone PHES plant is the most economically favorable option;
- For newer coal plants where there is also a local peaking capacity need, repowering the steam cycle into a hybrid integration with PHES is attractive;
- A process was developed to assist fossil generation owners in choosing the best path for each plant’s circumstances.
Key findings from an economic standpoint are:
- Communities facing economic challenges caused by the retirement of fossil generation would benefit from repurposing the plant as long-duration energy storage using Malta’s PHES;
- On a $/MW basis, repowering retiring coal units into Malta PHES plants can maintain the same number and types of jobs and economic activity;
- For a 70% carbon reduction scenario, a 10-hour Malta PHES plant is more economic for the asset owner than similar-power 4-hour batteries.
Indiana Project Calls for Battery Storage at Coal Generation Site
In July 2023, AES Indiana filed a petition with Indiana utility regulators for the operation and development of an energy storage project on the existing Petersburg Generating Station property already owned by AES Indiana.
The Pike County Energy Storage project is a standalone project composed of two sets of 100 MW/4-hour (total expected output 800 MWh at 80% of discharge level) that will be connected to two 34.5/345 kV transformers included in a single collector substation.
Batteries will be distributed via independent enclosures that feed separate inverters that interconnect on medium voltage level (34.5 kV).
The project will be located on a 26-acre footprint and is expected to be eligible for 40% Investment Tax Credit because it is located in an “energy community” as defined in the Inflation Reduction Act.
The commercial operation date is expected by December 1, 2024.
Form Energy Partners with Xcel Energy on Energy Storage Projects
Form Energy, Inc. in January 2023 announced that it had entered into definitive agreements with Xcel Energy to deploy its iron-air battery systems at two of Xcel Energy’s retiring coal plant sites.
“The storage technology will allow Xcel Energy to integrate more low-cost, renewable energy into its system and maintain reliability as it retires the coal plants in the coming years and transitions to a highly renewable future,” a news release said.
Xcel Energy–Minnesota will deploy a 10 MW/1,000 MWh multi-day storage system at the Sherburne County Generating Station in Becker, Minnesota. On July 6, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved the energy storage pilot at Xcel Energy’s site in Becker, Minn.
Xcel Energy–Colorado will deploy a 10 MW /1,000 MWh multi-day storage system at the Comanche Generating Station in Pueblo, Colorado.
Both projects are expected to come online as early as 2025 and are subject to regulatory approvals in their respective states.
More recently, Xcel Energy in July 2023 issued a request for proposals for clean energy projects located in Wisconsin with commercial operation dates from 2027 to 2029. The projects will help to replace the capacity of the Allen S. King plant, a coal-fired plant in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota that is scheduled to retire in 2028.
Xcel Energy plans to reuse existing grid connections at the King plant site.
“We’ve proposed to retire all coal operations company-wide by the end of 2030,” Theo Keith, a spokesperson for Xcel Energy, told Public Power Current.
“Investing in solar and storage projects at retiring coal plant sites has multiple advantages. First, reusing existing infrastructure and grid interconnection rights allows us to provide power to customers in the most efficient and cost-effective way. Second, these projects allow us to bring new investments to communities where we’ve lived and worked for decades,” he said.
Company Proposes Energy Storage at Former Coal Plant Site in New York
Meanwhile, at a Town Board Meeting in Lansing, N.Y., in July, Ben Broder, Director of Development and Policy Strategy at Colorado-based Bear Peak Power, made a presentation about a proposal that would place a battery energy storage system at the site of the Cayuga Power Plant, a shuttered coal-fired plant.
“This particular project is very exciting because we’re able to put to use an existing interconnection and substation that was used formerly by the Cayuga coal plant,” he said at the meeting.
Broder said that the project would be a 200-megawatt, four-hour duration battery energy storage system. “The footprint of the entire project is only 5.7 acres,” he said. Bear Peak Power has entered into a lease option with the Cayuga Operating Company for the purpose of developing and building the storage system.
In terms of the project’s timeline, Broder said it is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2026.
Coal Plant Site in New Jersey to Host Energy Storage System
In neighboring New Jersey, the Logan Generating Plant, one of New Jersey’s last coal plants to retire, was demolished in late 2022.
At the demolition, Starwood Energy, owner of the plant, announced plans to build grid-scale battery storage on the site and use existing interconnection rights from the old coal plant to connect new offshore wind transmission lines.
Storage Project Would Located at Former Coal Plant Site in Nevada
In late June, the Town Advisory Board for Moapa, Nev., approved a plan presented by investor-owned NV Energy that calls for the installation of a battery storage system at the site of the Reid Gardner Power Station, a now-shuttered coal-fired power plant near Moapa.
In a presentation at the June 27 Moapa Town Advisory Board meeting, Mark Sullivan, a Senior Land Use Consultant with NV Energy, said that the 220-MW lithium-ion project is designed for peak time hours.
In May of this year, the Nevada Public Utilities Commission issued an order related to NV Energy’s integrated resource plan in which it said it was unable to approve the utility’s proposal for a 200-MW grid tied battery energy storage system to be located at the Valmy coal-fired power plant site in Nevada.
Specifically, the PUC said that it was “premature and unreasonable” to approve the $466 million battery energy storage system investment at Valmy as a cost-effective replacement for the coal plant “without all the necessary facts.”
The Commission said that the retirement of the Valmy plant by the previously approved date of 2025 is a significant priority for the PUC.
It directed the utility to provide additional details about the retirement of the plant including “a complete solution” for the plant’s retirement.
In July 2023, the utility outlined a plan to convert the existing coal-fueled plant at the North Valmy Generating Station – the lone coal plant in NV Energy’s portfolio – to a natural gas-fueled plant.
The North Valmy Generating Station – located in northern Nevada near Battle Mountain – “is a critical generating plant that is necessary to provide reliable power for northern Nevada customers. Refueling the North Valmy Generating Station with natural gas allows NV Energy to reduce carbon emissions by almost 50% through the elimination of coal while ensuring the company has a facility in that part of the state that can operate around the clock to meet the energy needs of our customers,” NV Energy said.
Program Offers Incentives to Install Storage Facilities at Former Coal Plant Sites
In June 2022, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity announced the participants of the Coal-to-Solar Energy Storage Grant Program.
As part of the program, five coal plant sites — which are already closed or in the process of closing — were selected to participate. The program provides incentives for companies to install energy storage facilities at the sites of former coal plants.
Guided by criteria outlined in CEJA legislation, the five coal plant sites will receive a total of $280.5 million over a ten-year period (capped at $28.05 million per year), with the first payments issued in 2025 when the facilities are expected to be commercially operational. The amount of funding received by each project corresponds to the megawatts of stored energy capacity at the facilities.
The plants were selected through a competitive review process which permitted up to five plant sites to be selected.
In order to qualify, the plants must have burned coal, have a generating capacity of at least 150 MW of electricity, and make a commitment to hiring a diverse workforce and apprentices.
The program provides $110,000 per megawatt of stored solar energy (with a yearly cap of $28.05 million for all recipients) and each project must have a storage capacity of a minimum of 37 MW.
In 2021, the Illinois General Assembly passed SB 2408, the Energy Transition Act, an omnibus energy package that cleared a path for Vistra Corp. to build and operate up to 300 MW of utility-scale solar and 150 MW of battery energy storage facilities at nine retired or to-be-retired coal plant sites across central and southern Illinois.
Hawaii 185-MW Storage Project Would be Located at Former Coal Plant Site
In Hawaii, an energy storage project being developed by Plus Power will be located on roughly eight acres of land in Kapolei on the island of Oahu, where it will interconnect at a Hawaiian Electric substation.
The 185-MW/ 565 MWh battery storage project will provide load shifting and fast-frequency response services to Hawaiian Electric, enhancing grid reliability and accelerating the integration of readily available renewable energy.
The project received approval from the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission in May 2021.
The project will help replace an AES coal-fired plant that closed on September 1, 2022, supporting the state’s goal of shifting from fossil fuels to 100 percent renewable energy generation, Plus Power said.
Trend is Also Seen in Other Countries
The trend of siting energy storage facilities at coal plant sites is not limited to the U.S., with several other countries seeing the emergence of similar plans.
In August 2023, SSE Renewables started construction on a 150MW/300MWh battery energy storage system at Ferrybridge, West Yorkshire, U.K., with a groundbreaking ceremony. A coal-fired plant was located at the site until its decommissioning by SSE in 2016.
In Australia, ENGIE and its partners Eku Energy and Fluence in June of this year announced the commissioning of the Hazelwood Battery Energy Storage System, a utility-scale battery of 150 MW/150 MWh, located on the site of the former Hazelwood coal-fired power plant.
Meanwhile, ESS Tech Inc., a manufacturer of long-duration energy storage systems, and LEAG, a major German energy provider, in June 2023 signed an initial agreement to deploy renewable generation and long-duration energy storage using ESS iron flow battery technology.
LEAG and ESS plan to build a 50 MW/500 MWh iron flow battery system at the Boxberg coal-fired power plant site in Germany, to be commissioned in 2027.
Memphis Light, Gas and Water Planning for Up to 100-MW of Battery Storage
September 7, 2023
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
September 7, 2023
Memphis Light, Gas and Water on Aug. 23 said that it has started the planning necessary to deliver utility scale battery storage of up to 100 megawatts into the local electric distribution system.
Once installed, these batteries will hold enough electricity to power the equivalent of 100,000 homes for four hours, the Tennessee public power utility noted.
“This effort will help MLGW provide additional resilience in the face of increasing energy demand and will help achieve community goals by reducing reliance on conventional power plants to meet peak electricity demands,” it said.
Additionally, in its effort to meet the need for clean, affordable energy in 2024 MLGW will determine the feasibility and initial specifications for the first MLGW owned, utility scale, solar generation facilities, consistent with the current Tennessee Valley Authority power supply agreement.
Meanwhile, MLGW CEO Doug McGowen last month appeared at a TVA Board listening session lending his support for the transition of outdated equipment to a newer, more efficient, state of the art system, MLGW noted in a news release.
SRP Unveils Pilot Project to Deploy Long-Duration Energy Storage
September 2, 2023
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
September 2, 2023
Arizona public power utility Salt River Project and CMBlu Energy on Aug. 31 announced a pilot project to deploy long-duration energy storage in the Phoenix area.
The 5-megawatt, 10-hour-duration project, named Desert Blume, will use CMBlu’s unique non-lithium technology, and the firm will build, own and operate the batteries on behalf of SRP at their Copper Crossing Energy and Research Center in Florence, Arizona.
SRP is the first U.S. electric utility to implement CMBlu’s batteries at this scale.
CMBlu’s Organic SolidFlow battery technology uses a non-flammable proprietary mixture of solid electrolyte and water-based electrolytes with high energy density and performance. The systems are fully recyclable, free of rare metals, and housed inside buildings.
CMBlu expects its battery system to cost-effectively store and deliver energy for two to three times longer per cycle than traditional lithium-ion technology, which typically targets a four-hour duration.
This pilot is part of an approved third phase of continued development at SRP’s Copper Crossing Energy and Research Center.
The first phase will add two flexible natural gas turbines with a total output of less than 100 MW, and the second phase will add a utility-scale advanced solar generation facility capable of generating up to 55 MW of solar energy.
SRP selected CMBlu after issuing a request for long-duration storage project proposals from emerging energy storage companies.
The Electric Power Research Institute will support performance monitoring of this pilot project and help validate the real-world performance of the technology in Arizona’s hot and dry climate.
The SRP pilot in Florence represents the latest application of CMBlu’s technology following several other project announcements this year.
Construction is slated to begin in early 2025, and SRP and CMBlu expect the pilot to be operational in December 2025.
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s CleanPowerSF Signs Battery Storage Contract
August 31, 2023
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
August 31, 2023
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s community choice energy program, CleanPowerSF, has signed a 15-year battery storage contract with the Corby project, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC.
The new facility is CleanPowerSF’s first standalone battery storage project located in Northern California.
Expected to be operational in 2025, the Corby project will have a total capacity of 300 MW of battery storage located in Solano County.
Specifically, the project will be able to store up to four hours of energy produced in the middle of the day “when solar is abundant and electricity is at its cheapest and discharge that electricity when it may be in short supply and costlier to produce, such as in the early evening,” the San Francisco PUC said.
“In California, we are experiencing weather whiplash — rapid swings of extreme weather caused by climate change,” said SFPUC general manager Dennis Herrera. “Whether it be prolonged drought, unprecedented rain, or seasonal wildfires, we’re focused on ensuring that our services are reliable and available. That’s why the Corby project is critical. We’re adding more clean energy to the grid and battery projects like Corby will improve reliability for our customers and people across California as we face an evolving future.”
The project will create up to 200 construction jobs and generate approximately $40 million in local tax revenue over the life of the project.
In addition, through the SFPUC’s Social Impact Partnership Program, NextEra Energy Resources has also committed to investing in education and workforce development initiatives in Solano County and beyond.
In addition to the Corby project, CleanPowerSF has also committed to sourcing energy from another NextEra Energy Resources subsidiary called Paulsell Solar Energy Center in Stanislaus County.
The solar photovoltaic power facility, which broke ground in August 2022 and is expected to be operational in June 2024, will generate up to 20 MW of renewable solar energy and 15 MW of battery energy storage.
To date, CleanPowerSF has contracted 467 MW of new wind and solar projects in California and signed four solar plus battery storage contracts.
In April 2021, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced that CleanPowerSF will provide all customers 100% renewable electricity by 2025, five years ahead of the city’s original goal of 2030 and 20 years ahead of the state’s goal of 2045.
Along with CleanPowerSF, the SFPUC operates Hetch Hetchy Power, which provides 100% greenhouse gas-free energy to public facilities such as City Hall, schools and libraries, some private commercial developments, and affordable housing. Collectively, the two programs serve over 70% of the electricity consumed in San Francisco.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is a department of the City and County of San Francisco. It delivers drinking water to 2.7 million people in the Bay Area, collects and treats wastewater for the City and County of San Francisco, and meets over 70% of the electricity demand in San Francisco.