Los Angeles, California, June 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Clean Power Alliance (CPA) Board of Directors has approved two 20-year power purchase agreements (PPA) with BHE Renewables, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy. The solar plus storage projects are co-located at BHE Renewables’ Solar Star 3 and Solar Star 4 facilities in Kern County and will add both renewable energy and battery storage capacity to CPA’s growing fleet of projects, reducing emissions and increasing power reliability of California’s electrical grid.
This is the first time CPA has contracted with BHE Renewables, which operates in 11 states and develops, owns and operates solar, wind, geothermal and hydroelectric power plants. CPA is slated to begin receiving energy from Solar Star 3 and Solar Star 4 in 2025.
Each of the projects will provide 24 MW of solar power generation and 23 MW of four-hour battery energy storage. The resulting combined 48 MW of solar generation is enough to power 24,000 Southern California homes annually and is equivalent to avoiding 82 million pounds of harmful greenhouse gas emissions every year.
“CPA continues to be a leader in investing in solar energy combined with battery storage to grow power resilience for the communities we serve,” said Robert Parkhurst, the Chair of CPA’s Energy Committee and Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Sierra Madre. “I’m proud that CPA is prioritizing long-term purchase agreements that not only strengthen our region’s power infrastructure but also secures costs for years to come to bring rate stability to customers.”
The two PPAs are the 45th and 46th long term contracts CPA has signed to date, totaling 2,642 MW of renewable energy and 1,934 MW of battery energy storage in its overall energy portfolio.
The State of California announced a milestone earlier this year when it surpassed 10,000 MW of available battery storage capacity. The state projects 52,000 MW of capacity is needed by 2045 to reach 100% clean electricity. CPA’s continued investments in storage are helping move the state closer to its clean energy goals.
“We are in a critical moment in California’s transition to clean energy, where we must ensure power reliability as we work to create a greener future. The expansion of solar and storage together increases energy resilience for our region and our millions of customers,” said Clean Power Alliance CEO Ted Bardacke.
CPA currently serves more than three million residents and businesses in 35 communities throughout Los Angeles and Ventura counties. In October 2025, the number of communities will increase to 38 when the cities of La Cañada Flintridge, Lynwood, and Port Hueneme join CPA service.
CPA began providing clean renewable energy to its Southern California customers in 2018. With its growing energy supply portfolio, CPA has become a major contributor to the reliability of California’s electricity system by being one of the largest purchasers of energy storage in the state. In 2023, CPA was designated the number one green power provider in the country by the United States Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
“We are excited to work with Clean Power Alliance, one of the largest load serving entities in California. These new Solar Star projects will provide reliable, renewable power that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Southern California,” said Steve Rowley, Vice President of Energy Markets and Transmission for BHE Renewables.
About Clean Power Alliance
Founded in 2017, Clean Power Alliance is the locally operated not-for-profit electricity provider for 35 communities across Los Angeles County and Ventura County. CPA is the fourth largest electricity provider in California and leads the nation in serving the most customers with 100% renewable energy. CPA serves approximately three million residents and businesses providing clean renewable energy at competitive rates. Learn more at: CleanPowerAlliance.org.
About BHE Renewables
BHE Renewables develops, owns and operates solar, wind, geothermal and hydroelectric projects that produce energy for both the wholesale market and for customers under long-term power agreements. Learn more at: bherenewables.com
Joseph Cabral Clean Power Alliance (213) 442-8109 jcabral@cleanpoweralliance.org
