Record-breaking Facility: Largest US Solar Storage Project Goes Into Operation in California

Minneapolis, USA - The US project developer Terra-Gen and the US construction company Mortenson have completed and commissioned the huge Edwards & Sanborn solar and energy storage project.

With a PV capacity of 875 MW and a storage capacity of around 3.3 million kWh (3,300 MWh), this is currently the largest solar and energy storage project in the USA. The plant is located in Kern County, California.

Mortenson was the contractor responsible for the complete engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of all components of the solar plant and the energy storage system in this pioneering project.

The project covers an area of 4,600 hectares. More than 1.9 million thin-film solar modules from First Solar were installed. Batteries from LG Chem, Samsung and BYD were installed on the storage side.

The plant will supply the city of San Jose, the energy companies Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and the Clean Power Alliance as well as Starbucks, among others, with electricity. Part of the plant was built on the grounds of Edwards Air Force Base, making the project the largest public-private collaboration in the history of the U.S. Department of Defense, according to Mortenson.

"The Mortenson team was tasked with an extremely difficult goal to build this project, and they proved to be the right partner for the job. We are excited to bring Edwards & Sanborn online and benefitting the people of California", said Brian Gorda, vice president of engineering at Terra-Gen.

"Mortenson is honored to help Terra-Gen deliver the Edwards & Sanborn project and provide the region with clean, resilient power. I’m proud of the world-class facility our team designed, built and commissioned for Terra-Gen", added Mortenson Senior Vice President Mark Donahue.

Source: IWR Online, 29 Jan 2024