Two projects are expected to generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 270,000 homes and created an estimated 950 construction jobs.
Clean Power Alliance (CPA), the largest community choice energy aggregator in the United States, announced it achieved commercial operations for two large solar and energy storage projects that together add 600 MW of solar and 390 MW of storage.
The two projects are expected to generate enough electricity to serve the equivalent power demand of 270,000 homes and created an estimated 950 jobs at peak construction. Together the projects are expected to abate 880 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
“By investing in these technologies, we can reduce reliance on fossil fuels, lower carbon emissions, and create a more resilient energy system to serve our communities,” said Ted Bardacke, chief executive officer of CPA.
CPA said solar-plus-storage projects support Southern California’s energy resilience and sustainability. The projects support a reliable energy supply during outages and peak demand, which is particularly critical to the region prone to heatwaves, wildfires and grid outages.
Located in Tulare County, the Rexford project was developed by AES. The project adds 300 MW of sola and 240 MW of battery energy storage, delivered to CPA under a 15-year power purchase agreement.
EDF Renewables and PSEI developed the Desert Quartzite solar-plus-storage is located in Riverside County. The project achieved commercial operations in December 2024.
The project is delivering power to CPA under a 20-year power purchase agreement.
CPA said it will compliment these two large-scale projects with a series of smaller-scale local projects located on warehouse rooftops in its service territory.
The community choice aggregator is operated as a not-for-profit electricity provider for 35 cities across Los Angeles County and Ventura County as well as in some surrounding unincorporated territories. The company serves approximately three million residents and businesses.
Read more about CPA’s solar and storage project investments here.
Community choice aggregators
Community choice aggregators (CCA) help communities exercise control over their electricity sources, demand more green power, and negotiate lower electricity prices. Demand aggregation gives communities greater leverage when conducting these negotiations.
The first CCA legislation was passed in Massachusetts in 1997, and in 2016, over 8.7 billion kWh of clean power was delivered to about 3.3 million customers across the seven U.S. states that have approved its use, said the EPA.
To create CCA legislation, local governments must hold public hearings and then pass law that authorizes the CCA. Homes, businesses and municipal sites in an approved jurisdiction may qualify, depending on the design of the CCA law.
CCA participation is always voluntary. Most programs have opt-out provisions, so that when a community begins a program, customers are given advanced notice and have the choice to opt-out of the CCA and continue to receive electricity from their conventional supplier. Generally, customers who do not opt-out are automatically enrolled.
