The Eland Solar & Storage Center site – located on 2,650 acres in Kern County, California – will be developed by 8Minutenergy. The project is expected to create 700 jobs over the 14-month construction period.
The center, which includes two major solar facilities, will be built in two phases. Overall, it will capture 400MW of solar energy and store up to 1,200MWh of energy — all of which can be distributed to meet peak demand.
Colin Smith, solar analyst at Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables:
With storage, the effective capacity factor is in the 60 percent range, so it is able to power California for a big portion of the day and eat into peak load. California needs projects like this to progress towards 100 percent clean power.
When in service, the Eland Solar & Storage Center will capture and store enough energy to power more than 283,000 homes, reducing the need for natural gas at night or on cloudy days. It will also provide jobs for 40 long-term operations and maintenance staff to keep it up and running.
The agreements have yet to go to the city council for approval but the city’s Department of Water & Power (DWP) has already approved power purchase agreements for the center.
Jeff McKay, 8minute Director of Marketing, said:
Today was a big win for the city of Los Angeles, the people of California and the renewable energy industry as well. The project offers a glimpse of the future, with zero carbon sources providing energy cheaper than fossil fuels to households throughout Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley — at the lowest combined solar and storage prices on record.
The proposal was selected out of a pool of 130 submissions because of its scope and competitive price. It provides the lowest price for solar power in US history – a fixed cost of less than 2 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). In addition, all costs associated with the development, maintenance, and operation of the facility will be covered by operator 8Minutenergy.
Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti said:
The climate crisis has never been more dire, but the solutions have never been clearer or cheaper — and Los Angeles is investing in renewable energy and cleaning our air as part of my DWP reform agenda. The Eland Solar and Storage Center will help us keep the lights on without the help of dirty fossil fuels — even when the sun isn’t shining — and power our progress toward a low-carbon, green-energy future.
Los Angeles Department of Water & Power interim general manager Martin Adams added:
Eland Solar and Storage Center will offer reliable, cost-competitive energy as we expand solar and other renewable resources to meet our aggressive climate change goals. Among other benefits, the project will bridge the gap between day and night, dramatically increasing the operational value of the project.
Solar power with batteries makes it possible to supply electricity for the high-demand evening hours, but for a limited time. “The question then becomes how fast can California adopt more solar-plus-storage like this before it needs either wind or longer duration storage to meet all energy needs,” Smith said.
