EDP Renewables North America, a renewable energy developer in the US, has introduced its 200 MW Scarlet I Solar Energy Park (Scarlet I) in Fresno County, California.
The project comprises a 40 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) that will generate enough energy to power the equivalent of 68,000 average California homes annually.
Scarlet I has two executed power purchase agreements (PPAs): one with Ava Community Energy (previously known as East Bay Community Energy) for 100 MW of solar and 30 MW of BESS and one with San Jose Clean Energy (SJCE) for 100 MW of solar and 10 MW of BESS.
The current solar + storage facility supports EDP Renewables’ existing 248 MW operational footprint in California.
The solar energy park supported the creation of more than 230 construction jobs and five permanent positions for ongoing operations and routine maintenance. Scarlet I will invest in small businesses and the local economy over the next several decades.
“This project will help us keep our commitment to providing clean energy for residents and businesses at competitive rates while also offering community programs, local control, and more transparency and accessibility,” noted Lori Mitchell, Director of San Jose Clean Energy. “In sourcing and building clean and affordable renewables, we’re committed to advancing a more reliable and sustainable power grid for California.”
Scarlet I will assist the region’s water efficiency goals and is expected to save more than 254 million gallons of water each year that would have otherwise been consumed by conventional generation sources for equivalent energy capacity. The project is also exploring possibilities for sheep grazing on site following a recent trial run utilizing locally sourced sheep.
“California remains a priority state for EDPR NA’s development efforts, and we are pleased to finalize this significant solar + storage project in The Golden State,” stated Sandhya Ganapathy, CEO of EDP Renewables North America. “Scarlet I will be a benchmark project as we look to develop additional hybrid multi-technology renewable projects across our portfolio and contribute further to grid resiliency.”
EDP Renewables has several additional California projects in late-stage development including the 200 MW Scarlet II solar energy park, which also includes 150 MW of BESS, and the 300 MW Sandrini solar park located in Kern County.
