EDF Renewables North America announced it has achieved commercial operations for a series of four projects at its Palen Solar site. The projects combine for a total capacity of 620 MW of solar and 50 MW/ 200 MWh of energy storage.
The site is administered by the Federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM). BLM designated the area as a Solar Energy Zone and Development Focus Area, land set aside by the federal agency for utility-scale renewable energy development.
The projects include:
- Maverick 1: 173 MWdc (125 MWac)
- Maverick 4: 137 MWdc (100 MWac)
- Maverick 6: 131 MWdc (100 MWac) plus 200 MWh (50 MW) battery storage
- Maverick 7: 179 MWdc (132 MWac)
The projects are estimated to bring an average local spend to Riverside County, Calif. of $24,000 a month during construction. Combined the projects create enough energy to power up to 217,000 average California homes. This equates to avoiding more than 1 million metric tons of CO₂ emissions annually, which represents the greenhouse gas emissions from 227,000 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven over the course of one year.
Construction began in early 2020 for Maverick 1 and 4, followed by Maverick 6 and 7 in early 2021. At peak construction, the sites employed over 500 personnel.
“The Maverick projects are the cornerstone of our large-scale solar and storage growth and expertise. The renewable energy industry has experienced significant volatility over the past years battling both unprecedented pandemic and supply chain constraints. We are excited to now have all four projects operating at full capacity and to contribute to California’s climate goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.” Benoit Rigal, senior vice president, implementation and projects management for EDF Renewables North America.
The company’s asset optimization group will perform operations and maintenance services for the life of the project. It will provide NERC compliance support, remote monitoring, and balance-of-plant management to maximize power production.
EDF Renewables is among the largest developers in North America, with over 35 years of experience and 24 GW of solar, wind, and storage projects developed. The company provides services from grid-scale power to electric vehicle charging.
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