Mar 22, 2023   SOURCE: BusinessWire

EDF Renewables North America Signs Agreement with Southern California Public Power Authority to Provide 117 MWac of Solar Energy

EDF Renewables North America today announced a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA) for the energy and renewable attributes related to the 117 megawatts (MWac) /148 MWdc Sapphire Solar project. Sapphire Solar is guaranteed to begin delivery of carbon-free electricity to SCPPA’s Participating Members, Anaheim, Pasadena and Vernon, by December 31, 2026. In addition to the solar production, SCPPA reserves the option to a 59 MWac x 4-hour battery energy storage system.

Sapphire Solar, located in Riverside County on private land, expects to create approximately 250 jobs during the construction phase with more than $253 million generated in new tax revenue over the operating life for taxing entities. Sapphire Solar will generate clean energy while minimizing impacts to wildlife, habitat, and other environmental resources.

“We are very pleased to build upon our successful partnership with SCPPA, initiated in 2010, and most recently with the 2018 Desert Harvest II transaction, to bring more renewable energy online in support of their decarbonization commitment for member communities,” said Sohinaz Sotoudeh, Vice President – West Origination and Power Marketing for EDF Renewables. “We look forward to future opportunities to further advance carbon-free energy for California.”

“Sapphire Solar will supply 117 MWac of solar capacity and a 59MWac/236 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) to our growing renewable and energy storage resource mix,” commented Michael Webster, Executive Director of SCPPA. “This project will help our Participating SCPPA Members meet and exceed renewable energy and resource adequacy requirements, while at the same time minimizing costs and maintaining reliability.”

In addition to its economic benefits for Riverside County, the project is expected to generate 375,800 MWh of clean energy annually, enough to meet the consumption of over 58,000 average California homes1. This is equivalent to avoiding over 266,000 metric tons of carbon (CO₂) emissions annually which represents the greenhouse gas emissions from over 57,000 passenger vehicles driven over the course of one year2.

EDF Renewables, one of the largest renewable developers in North America, is committed to providing solutions to meet our customers’ carbon-reduction goals. With 35 years of experience and 16 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) 2021 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; distribution-scale power: solar and storage; asset optimization: technical, operational, and commercial expertise to maximize performance of generating projects, and onsite solutions, through the Company’s PowerFlex subsidiary, offering 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 16 GW of developed projects and 13 GW under service contracts. EDF Renewables North America is a subsidiary of EDF Renewables, 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.