U.S. Interior Reports Full Operation of EDF Renewables’ 467-Megawatt Solar Project in California

The Department of the Interior on Aug. 8 announced that the California-based 457-megawatt Palen photovoltaic solar project has reached its full capacity operation. In 2018, the Bureau of Land Management approved EDF Renewable Energy Inc.’s submission to construct the solar photovoltaic project and a 230-kilovolt generation interconnection transmission line. In December 2020, the first phase of the project resulted in the generation of 125 megawatts of energy, followed by phases two and three, each producing 100 megawatts. Phase 4 generated 132 megawatts, and Phase 5 added 50-megawatt hours of battery storage. The project has the potential to power approximately 116,000 homes.

Currently, the bureau is working on 64 utility-scale clean energy projects in the western U.S. including wind, solar, geothermal and interconnect gen-tie lines. A total of 41 gigawatts of renewable energy could be added to the Western electric grid from these projects. The agency is also reviewing 90 wind and solar energy development applications and 51 wind and solar energy test applications.

Several renewable energy projects have recently been approved through the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan. Oberon, Arica, and Victory Pass solar projects are among the renewable energy projects approved near the desert center in eastern Riverside County.

• The Oberon project, which will produce up to 500 megawatts of renewable energy, has the potential to supply about 146,000 homes. The project will also include 200 megawatts of battery storage. The project developer, also referred to as IP Oberon LLC, is part of Intersect Power LLC.
• The Arica and Victory Pass projects will result in an estimated $689 million investment, potentially yielding $5.9 million in annual operational economic benefits. A total of 465 megawatts of clean energy producing capacity and 400 megawatts of battery storage will be added to the project, which will be capable of powering approximately 132,000 homes. The project developers, Arica Solar LLC and Victory Pass I LLC, are subsidiaries of Clearway Energy Group LLC.

By 2025, the U.S. government plans to modernize its power infrastructure in the west and permit the production of 25 gigawatts of wind, solar, and geothermal energy on public lands.