July 1, 2019
Clean Power Alliance (CPA) signed three new competitively priced long-term power purchase agreements, including two new solar projects and one existing small hydroelectric project. The projects were approved by CPA’s Board of Directors at their June 28th board meeting.
All of the projects are located in Southern California in areas with low environmental impacts and specifically designated for renewable energy development. The projects will enable CPA to meet its customers’ renewable energy demand, lower costs, and comply with state renewable energy mandates. The two new solar facilities will create approximately 500 jobs, contracting well-paid and skilled workers to deliver on CPA’s mission to invest in a green energy workforce.
“These contracts demonstrate that Clean Power Alliance’s environmental commitments are translating into high impact investments and competitive pricing for our customers, while combatting climate change,” said Diana Mahmud, Board Chair of Clean Power Alliance and South Pasadena City Councilmember.
The first project contracts 233 megawatts from the Arlington Solar project in Riverside County, which will be owned and operated by a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC. That project will come on-line in two phases, with the first 100 MWAC delivered December 2021 and the next 133 MWAC delivered December 2022. It has an expected output of 718,220 MWh/year and a 15-year long contract.
The second project contracts 40 megawatts from Clearway Energy Group’s Rosamond Solar project in Kern County, beginning in March 2021. It has an expected output of 114,780 MWh/year and a 15-year long contract.
The last project contracts all of Isabella Partners’ existing 12 megawatt Isabella small hydroelectric project in Kern County, beginning in December 2020. It has an expected output of approximately 48,000 MWh/year and a 10-year long contract.
The projects resulted from CPA’s 2018 Clean Energy Request for Offers (RFO) and complement a long-term contract for the Terra-Gen owned Voyager wind project, executed in late 2018. CPA is negotiating additional long-term contracts from its 2018 Clean Energy RFO and will launch another Clean Energy RFO this coming fall.
CPA’s newly signed contracts follow a trend of Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) programs across the state exercising their buying power and driving new renewable energy development. Collectively to date, California’s CCAs have signed long-term renewable energy contracts for over 2000 megawatts.
“Our customers and the local governments who comprise Clean Power Alliance have overwhelmingly chosen competitively priced renewable energy options. These contracts will allow us to give our customers what they want while meeting California’s ambitious renewable energy goals ten years early,” said Natasha Keefer, Director of Power Planning and Procurement, Clean Power Alliance.
