Terra-Gen and Mortenson have announced the activation of the Edwards & Sanborn Solar + Energy Storage project, the largest solar and storage project in the United States. Mortenson served as engineering, procurement, and construction contractor for the project.
The project is a true renewable energy behemoth, spanning 4,600 acres, comprised of 1.9 million First Solar panels. It holds a capacity of 875 MWdc solar, and nearly 3.3 GWh of energy storage. It has a 1.3 GW interconnection capacity.
California’s grid is expected to receive enough electricity to power the equivalent of about 238,000 homes from the project. This leads to an estimated 320,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions abated annually.
The energy storage is made up of LG Chem, Samsung, and BYD batteries. This feat of engineering required 98 miles of MV Wire, over 361 miles of DC wiring, and 120,720 batteries.
Edwards & Sanborn is partially located on the Edwards Air Force Base in Kern County, California, a hub for many of the largest solar projects in the United Staes. It represents the largest public-private collaboration in U.S. Department of Defense history. Since 2020, over 1,000 craftworkers contributed to the project, and it was executed with more than a million hours of injury-free labor.
“Only in America can we take barren land, embrace the power of the sun, and create an engineering marvel,” said Brigadier General William Kale, Air Force civil engineer center commander. “So, take the time to reflect, see the great work that was done, and understand the significance of this project and what it can lead to. Hopefully, this is just the spark.”
The active project supplies power to the city of San Jose, Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric, the Clean Power Alliance, and Starbucks corporation, among others.
The project’s first phase added 346 MWac of solar modules and 1.5 GWh of battery storage. Financing for the the first phase was closed in 2021 and included $804 million senior secured credit facilities. This includes $400 million construction and term loan facility, a $328 million tax equity bridge facility, and a $76 million construction and revolving letter of credit facility. J.P. Morgan is providing the tax equity commitment for the initial phase of the project, with Deutsche Bank leading the construction and term financing.
In 2022, Terra-Gen closed a nearly $1 billion project financing for the second phase of the project. It included $460 million construction and term loan facility, $96 million construction and revolving credit facility, and a $403 million tax equity bridge facility. BNP Paribas, CoBank, U.S. Bank, ING, and Nomura led the funding.
In total, the two financing rounds for the project totaled over $1.7 billion.
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Only in America? We’re in like 3rd to last place.
Once these mega systems started coming on-line, utilities decided rooftop solar from homeowners was no longer required to be “GREEN” and are cutting compensation to rooftop solar that is 6 times more expensive to install and maintain per watt than these mega systems with storage. Homeowners can only get relief from the high utility rates by either going completely off grid with a solar plus battery system or turn to lower wattage LED lighting, inductive cooktops or heat exchanger heating at appliance replacement time. NEM3.0 is killing rooftop solar companies but not hurting these mega systems and the IBEW members that install them.
Frank, only China has more solar power than us. 🙂
There is no such thing as “barren land”… they are ALL mineral rich and JUST waiting for water to arrive… that is all…
Even Desert land can be turned “green” with water and even better with shade provided by PV Panels.
This 4,600 Acre, 875 MW PV Panel + Storage Project dooms 4,600 Acres to remain barren, when it could be made Green & Fertile… In addition, the Toxin Laden Batteries will end up in Toxic Waste Landfills in a few years… spreading (leaching) Pollution….
We appear to ❤❤❤❤… to repeat our mistakes of the past… by wasting resources and kicking the “Pollution Ball” from one place and form to another….
This 875 MW Project could have (can) easily adopted “Agro/Food Friendly” AgriVoltaics (AV) where one generates SOLAR Electricity above as one continues to Graze and Grow food below by pumping water (using AV Electricity) and using PHS (Pumped Hydro Storage) by ADOPTING UHES (see youtube channel zeropollution2050 … UHES) for S2S …. Sunset-To-Sunrise… Energy Storage.
In BOTH CASES it Optimizes use of Existing Resources… Land and Hydro Storage at EXISTING Hydro Sites.
” When will we ever learn… when will we ever… learn”…