Avantus signs 20-year solar-plus-storage PPA with Clean Power Alliance

A large new solar and battery project is coming to Tulare County, California, after developer Avantus signed a 20-year power deal with Clean Power Alliance, a community choice energy provider serving parts of Southern California. The Rexford 2 project will pair 200 megawatts of solar power with a large battery system (200 MW/800 MWh) capable of storing power for use when the sun isn't shining. Once running, it's expected to supply enough electricity for about 84,000 homes.

Construction is set to start in 2027, with the facility online by late 2028 and the 20-year power contract officially starting in May 2029. The project is being built on land already disturbed by prior use, and is expected to bring over 500 union construction jobs and significant local tax revenue to the county. For customers of Clean Power Alliance, the deal locks in a fixed long-term price for this power, which the utility says will help shield customers from swings in energy market prices.

This project adds to California's already large lead in solar and battery storage. The state has more than 55,000 megawatts of solar installed, providing roughly 38 percent of its electricity, and industry projections call for tens of thousands more megawatts of solar and storage over the next five years. If you get your electricity through Clean Power Alliance, this kind of long-term clean power contract is part of what determines your rates and the reliability of your grid, though it doesn't require any action on your part.