Clearway Energy Group has begun commercial operations of a 482MW solar and 280MW battery plant in California. Clearway joined customers, partners, and community members in San Bernardino County for a ribbon-cutting event to commemorate the start of commercial operations at Daggett Solar+Storage.
The site is next to the defunct Coolwater gas-fired power station. “This is exactly the sort of innovation and big thinking that California needs. Repurposing old fossil fuel infrastructure to build one of the biggest solar and battery projects in the country,” Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, said. “With projects like this, we’ll achieve a 100% clean electric grid. It will drastically cut pollution to combat climate change – all while creating good-paying jobs.”
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Clearway Energy Group CEO Craig Cornelius stated, “The project has brought a billion-dollar investment to an energy transition community and will provide clean, reliable, and low-cost power to California homes and businesses for years to come.”We are grateful to our consumers, partners, San Bernardino County, and the Daggett and Newberry Springs communities for their assistance in making this essential initiative a reality.”
More on the construction of the Clearway Energy solar battery plant
Daggett Solar+Storage was built in collaboration with IBEW Local 477. This resulted in the creation of over 500 union jobs during the project’s development. Wärtsilä furnished the batteries. The whole Daggett Solar+Storage facility is being built in three phases.
The last 113.5MW battery storage section is contracted independently with an investment-grade rated utility offtaker. It is scheduled to begin commercial operations in 2025, increasing the battery’s total capacity to 394MW.
During operation, Daggett Solar+Storage will produce up to $18.5 million in local tax income and $5 million in expenditure.
Clean Power Alliance, Constellation, East Bay Community Energy (EBCE), soon to be renamed as Ava Community Energy, MCE, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), and Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA) have all contracted with Daggett Solar + Storage.
