ForeFront Power Connects 27 MW Solar-Storage to Power Fresno's Water Treatment Plants

    April 22, 2025
    The biggest of these three distributed energy projects serving critical infrastructure is the 19.6-MW system at the wastewater reclamation facility. Overall, the Fresno Department of Public Utilities (DPU) solar-storage systems could save $122 million for ratepayers by 2045.
    Image of Southeast Surface Water Treatment credit Carollo
    6807dd162cfd2a4de398d220 Image Credit Carollo

    Water supply is critical to the Central Valley of California, and what is perhaps the hub city within that region is adopting clean energy generation to help power its water treatment facilities.

    The city of Fresno Department of Public Utilities announced completion of solar and smart battery storage projects at three sites within the community. The combined 27-MW capacity is located at the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility, the Northeast Surface Water Treatment Facility, and the Southeast Surface Water Treatment Facility.

    The biggest of these three distributed energy projects serving critical infrastructure is the 19.6-MW system at the wastewater reclamation facility. Overall, the Fresno Department of Public Utilities (DPU) solar-storage systems could save $122 million for ratepayers by 2045, according to the report.

    Together the surface water treatment facilities process close to 80 million gallons per day for residential, commercial and industrial consumption.

    The city of Fresno DPU developed its behind-the-meter solar and storage portfolio in partnership with ForeFront Power, a developer of solar energy and battery storage assets in the U.S. and Mexico. The portfolio was constructed by local union labor from the IBEW Local 100 and created 120 local jobs in the process.

    Each DPU site has rows of ground-mounted solar modules fitted with single-axis tracker technology for the modules to capture the maximum amount of Central Valley sunlight. The DPU portfolio has a combined output of 47 million kWh of electricity annually, enough to power 6,000 homes.

    DPU’s facilities will be allowed to use their smart battery reserves to avoid paying for grid electricity at peak times to only reduce local energy costs but also minimize the load on California’s electrical grid. The portfolio will help DPU avoid over 26,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually, equivalent to removing 6,000 gas-powered passenger vehicles from local roads each year.

    The DPU solar and storage portfolio was developed at no upfront cost to the City, and without using bond funds. Under the terms of a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the City, ForeFront Power owns and maintains the solar and storage portfolio it developed for DPU.

    For the next 20 years, ForeFront Power will charge DPU a fixed, below-market rate for electricity, and DPU will achieve budget certainty by avoiding utility rate increases. ForeFront Power will continue to operate and maintain the DPU solar and storage portfolio for the duration of the PPA, at no cost to DPU.

    ForeFront Power also is partnering with Fresno Unified School District on dozens of solar and storage sites across various school campuses. 

    Previously, ForeFront Power has completed on-site solar energy systems at the Fresno Animal Center, Fire Station 18 and the Southwest Police Substation. The company will also develop new combined solar-storage energy arrays at the Fresno Airport’s new terminal building and parking garage.

    Fresno is the most populous inland city within California with more than 540,000 residents. It serves as regional hub of the San Joaquin and Central Valley regions, which produce close to half of the food consumed in the U.S.

     

    About the Author

    Rod Walton, EnergyTech Managing Editor | Managing Editor

    For EnergyTech editorial inquiries, please contact Managing Editor Rod Walton at [email protected].

    Rod Walton has spent 15 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist. He formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    Walton earned his Bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. His career stops include the Moore American, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, Wagoner Tribune and Tulsa World. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids. The C&I sectors together account for close to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.

    He was named Managing Editor for Microgrid Knowledge and EnergyTech starting July 1, 2023

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.

    Email

    Combined images credit Killeen Regional Airport and Ameresco
    kra_final_art
    Image credit ID 68456157 © Torsakarin | Dreamstime.com
    decarbonzing_japan
    Image credit ID 346451931 © Oleg Kryuchko | Dreamstime.com
    dreamstime_storm_damage
    Image credit Tri-County Career Center Electrical Training webpage
    solar_tri_county_career_center
    Image of AWS data center in Virginia. Credit Amazon