Project to Provide Enough Electricity to Power More Than 163,000 Homes, Avoiding 669,000 Metric Tons of Carbon Emissions Annually or More Than 145,000 Passenger Vehicles Driven over the course of One Year

EDF Renewables North America (EDFR) and Clean Power Alliance (CPA) today announced the signing of a 15-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the Desert Quartzite Solar-plus-Storage project. The project, consisting of a 300 megawatt (MWac) solar project coupled with a 600 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS), is expected to begin delivery of clean electricity to CPA’s customers throughout Los Angeles and Ventura Counties in February 2024. The CPA Board of Directors approved the long-term contract during its September meeting.

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The Desert Quartzite Solar-plus-Storage Project is located on unincorporated land in Riverside County, California, administered by the Federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM designated this area as a Solar Energy Zone (SEZ) and Development Focus Area, land set aside for utility-scale renewable energy development. The project will utilize horizontal single-axis tracking solar photovoltaic (PV) technology; and is expected to create more than 800 construction jobs.

By coupling the solar facility with an energy storage solution, electricity produced during peak solar hours can be dispatched later in the day, thereby creating a balance between electricity generation and demand. Energy storage can further smooth electricity prices and provide grid stability in an environmentally friendly way.

“The clean reliable energy we will receive from the Desert Quartzite facility fits perfectly within our mission to improve the lives and environment of our customers and communities,” said Clean Power Alliance Executive Director Ted Bardacke. “Our Board has identified solar-plus-storage as being key to our continued growth and a means to further improve reliability for our millions of customers. This project will also create many more green jobs here in Southern California.”

“EDF Renewables is pleased to partner with Clean Power Alliance to supply affordable in-state solar energy to their growing customer base through the Desert Quartzite Solar-plus-Storage Project,” commented Sohinaz Sotoudeh, Senior Director, Origination & Power Marketing at EDF Renewables. “It is particularly satisfying to work with CPA, whose mission to empower communities with a choice for renewable power aligns with EDF Renewables’ ambition to help build a sustainable energy future. We are committed to helping CPA and other CCAs achieve their clean energy future through projects that also improve grid resiliency.”

The expected electricity generated at full capacity is enough to meet the consumption of more than 163,000 average California homes¹. This is equivalent to avoiding over 669,000 metric tons of carbon (CO₂) emissions annually which represents the greenhouse gas emissions from more than 145,000 passenger vehicles driven over the course of one year².

EDF Renewables, one of the largest renewable energy developers in North America, is committing to providing solutions to meet California’s carbon-reduction goals. With 35 years of experience and 20 gigawatts of wind, solar, and storage projects developed, EDF Renewables provides integrated energy solutions from grid-scale power to electric vehicle charging.

¹ According to U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2019 Residential Electricity Sales and U.S. Census Data and typical transmission assumptions.

² According to U.S. EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies calculations and typical transmission assumptions.

EDF Renewables North America is a market leading independent power producer and service provider with 35 years of expertise in renewable energy. The Company delivers grid-scale power: wind (onshore and offshore), solar photovoltaic, and storage projects; distributed solutions: solar and storage; and asset optimization: technical, operational, and commercial expertise to maximize performance of generating projects. The Company’s PowerFlex subsidiary offers a full suite of onsite energy solutions for commercial and industrial customers: solar, storage, EV charging, energy management systems, and microgrids. EDF Renewables’ North American portfolio consists of 20 GW of developed projects and 13 GW under service contracts. EDF Renewables North America is a subsidiary of EDF Renouvelables, the dedicated renewable energy affiliate of the EDF Group. For more information visit: www.edf-re.com. Connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

About Clean Power Alliance

Founded in 2017, Clean Power Alliance is the locally operated electricity provider for 30 cities across Los Angeles County and Ventura County, as well as the unincorporated areas of both counties. CPA is the fifth largest electricity provider in California and the single largest provider of 100% renewable energy to customers in the nation. CPA serves approximately three million customers via one million customer accounts, providing clean renewable energy at competitive rates. To view CPA’s 2020 Impact Report, click here. For complete information regarding CPA visit cleanpoweralliance.org.

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