With developer Terra-Gen, Electrify America has engaged in a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) to construct the Electrify America Solar GlowTM 1 solar photovoltaic renewable energy-producing project in San Bernardino County, California.
Electrify America Solar Glow™ 1 Project
At its maximum, the new solar plant is anticipated to produce 75 Megawatts (MW), or 225,000 Megawatt-hours annually. The 100% renewable energy made yearly is expected to balance the power provided annually to Electrify America’s customers via its massive network. By the middle of 2023, the solar plant is expected to be operational.
Electrify America will support the vital sustainability aim of “additionality” by becoming the most prominent open network in North America to participate in a VPPA, which means that this agreement would result in new, additional renewable energy generation.
Moving away from the standard practice of purchasing environmental certificates from a third-party supplier on an unbundled basis, which does less to support additional renewable energy generation, Electrify America is buying and retiring all bundled environmental credentials connected with the new solar project over 15 years.
“Electrify America’s business model – and purpose – have always been at the forefront of efforts to reduce emissions through enabling electric mobility. Our commitment to customers and a sustainable future go hand-in-hand, which is why we are investing in renewable energy generation to commit to a net-zero carbon footprint associated with the energy delivered to our customers.”
Said Giovanni Palazzo, president and CEO of Electrify America
At Terra-discretion, Gen’s Electrify America’s first solar project in the Southern California Mojave Desert could be expanded to include a co-located battery energy storage system, which would increase the amount of renewable energy delivered to the grid when more expensive, frequently more polluting peaking power plants might otherwise be used to meet customer demand. Electrify America’s continuing attempt to deploy approximately 30 MW of co-located behind-the-meter energy storage systems at charging stations around the US would be aided by the prospective usage of a co-located battery energy storage system at the site. As a result of Electrify America’s continued investment, the firm has already been able to reduce the carbon footprint and potential emissions linked to the energy production that supports its charging network.
Impact of the Electrify America Solar Glow™ 1 – Project
Electrify America’s charging network is powered by 100 percent renewable energy as of April 2022, thanks to the acquisition of environmental credits from current renewable generation, even if the new solar plant won’t be operational until mid-2023.
A temporary power purchase agreement (VPPA) between Electrify America and Terra-Gen, which will take effect in October 2022, will support Terra-current Gen’s Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS) IX solar thermal plant until the nearby new solar photovoltaic facility in San Bernardino County is fully operational. This will further strengthen the near-term sustainability impact.
The world’s longest-running solar thermal plant, SEGS IX, which was previously a component of the largest solar thermal energy generating facility when it was finished in 1990, will provide renewable energy to Electrify America in exchange for the bundled environmental certifications.
About Electrify America
The most extensive open DC fast-charging network in the US, Electrify America LLC, is dedicating $2 billion over ten years to infrastructure, access, and education for zero-emission vehicles (ZEV). The investment will make electric driving more accessible to millions of Americans and assist the development of a convenient and dependable national network of highways, workplaces, and community chargers.
By 2026, Electrify America anticipates having over 1,800 charging stations and over 10,000 chargers throughout the United States and Canada. To fulfill its promise to enable growing ZEV adoption, the corporation will expand to 49 states and the District of Columbia during this time. This network will be extensive, technologically cutting-edge, and accommodating to users.
We Covered this in our Weekly Wire Roundup
Solar Energy News from the Inland Empire
Startempire Wire previously reported other happenings related to solar power generation in the Inland Empire. This includes our news about California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) backing off from implementing its NEM 3.0 proposal, according to which existing solar energy owners/consumers in California would have to pay a grid access charge, an $8/kW solar capacity charge per month.
We also shared that San Bernardino County approved a utility-scale solar power project called Dagget Solar Power. This solar photovoltaic electricity generation and energy storage facility will produce up to 650 megawatts (MW) of power and include up to 450 MW of battery storage capacity on approximately 3,500 acres of land.
Wrap Up
The Electrify America Solar Glow™ 1 Project in San Bernardino is an exciting development that will help bring clean, renewable energy to the Inland Empire region. It will help reduce the environmental impact of local electricity generation while providing reliable power to residents and businesses.
The project will also provide an economic boost to the area through job creation while simultaneously helping diversify California’s energy portfolio. Overall, this project has numerous positive aspects, both for residents and the environment.
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