EDF Renewables North America and Clean Power Alliance (CPA) have signed a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for the Desert Quartzite Solar-plus-Storage project. The CPA Board of Directors approved the long-term contract during its September meeting. The project entails a 300 MW solar project, with an additional 600 MW battery energy storage system. The project is expected to begin the delivery of clean electricity to the Alliance’s customers across Los Angeles and Ventura counties in February 2024.
The Desert Quartzite Solar-plus-Storage Project is located on land in Riverside County, California, administered by the Federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM designated this area as a Solar Energy Zone and Development Focus Area, land set aside for utility-scale renewable energy development. The project will utilize horizontal single-axis tracking solar photovoltaic technology. It is also expected to create over 800 construction jobs.
Supplementing the solar facility with an energy storage solution will allow electricity produced during peak solar hours to be dispatched later in the day, thereby creating a balance between electricity generation and demand. Energy storage can help stabilise electricity prices and provide grid stability as well.
Founded in 2017, the Clean Power Alliance is a locally operated power company, operating across 30 cities in Southern California. EDF Renewables is a wholly owned subsidiary of the French utility EDF Group, specializing in renewable energy production.
