Clearway Energy has secured financing for the 200 MW Luna Valley Solar & Storage facility and the 113.5 MW Dagget energy storage project in California. These projects have signed PPAs that are part of a collection of projects being developed across the state intended to replace the potentially retiring Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.
Clearway Energy has secured financing for a 200 MW solar-plus-storage project and a 113.5 MW energy storage facility in California. The company will utilize $700 million in construction financing to deploy these projects, which have long-term agreements with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), South California Edison (SCE), and the Power & Water Resources Pooling Authority (PWRPA).
The Luna Valley facility features 200 MWac of solar power coupled with 169 MW of energy storage. As indicated in the site layout above, the batteries are positioned at the site of the solar inverters, suggesting potential DC coupling with the solar power.
Nestled in Fresno County, the Luna Valley facility is surrounded by a mix of existing and future solar power plants. To the south, it is neighbored by the existing Tranquility Solar Project. The Adams East Solar Projects lie to the east, while the Scarlet Solar Power Project, currently under development, is situated to the west.
This facility is one of sixteen current and prospective solar facilities within a fifteen-mile radius.
The Luna Valley facility has secured power purchase agreements (PPAs) with SDG&E, SCE, and PWRPA, while the Daggett Storage facility has an agreement exclusively with SDG&E.
According to the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), SDG&E has contracted equal amounts of solar and energy storage from the Luna and Dagget facilities. These resources are linked in a “virtually paired hybrid contract” as part of legislative efforts to replace the potentially retiring 2.2 GW Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. The combined resources are designed to be available daily from 5 P.M. to 10 P.M., providing power for at least five consecutive hours.
The energy storage facility, featuring a four-hour 113.5 MW battery, marks the final phase of the now complete 482 MW Daggett Solar plus 394 MW Energy Storage complex. To fulfill the five-hour runtime requirement, the facility operates the 113.5 MW battery at a derated 91 MW.
A sound study reveals that daytime noise levels within the facility’s perimeter could reach up to 55 decibels (dB), comparable to a loud conversation. Just outside the fence, sound levels peak between 40 and 45 dB, with the lower end akin to a whisper and the upper end similar to a normal conversation or a running dishwasher.
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