LA Department of Water and Power approves solar and battery energy storage facility

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power approved power purchase agreements for the Eland Solar and Storage Center, the largest solar and battery energy storage system in the country.

The power purchase agreements are with 8Minutenergy to develop the project and begin commercial operation by Dec. 31, 2023. The contract will cost less than $5 per year for each LADWP customer. The Eland Solar and Storage Center is expected to help Los Angeles reach its goals of having 55 percent renewable energy by 2025, 80 percent renewable energy by 2036, and 100 percent renewable energy by 2045. The project is expected to create 700 jobs over the 14-month construction period.

“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,” L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, who established those goals in his Green New Deal, said “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.”

The facility, located in Kern County, will include two large-scale solar facilities that will capture 400 megawatts (MW) of solar energy and store up to 1,200 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy. This energy can be distributed to meet peak demand. It will also reduce the need for natural gas at night or on cloudy days. The site will hold enough energy to power 283,330 homes. Currently, the LADWP receives 31 percent of its energy from renewable sources. The Eland Solar and Storage Center will increase that number by about 7.1 percent.

“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,” LADWP Interim General Manager Martin Adams said. “Among other benefits, the project will bridge the gap between day and night, dramatically increasing the operational value of the project.”

The agreements still must be approved by the LA City Council.

“Southern California gets a lot of sunshine, and now that sunshine is going to power our lives rain or shine, night or day,” Evan Gillespie, Western Director for Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign, said. “The Eland project is historically low cost. Its scale and innovative design will deliver clean power whenever the city needs it. This is what a Green New Deal looks like in practice: creating good union jobs, replacing fossil fuels with clean energy, and providing Angelenos with power cheaper than coal or gas.”