Canadian Solar subsidiary Recurrent Energy announced new energy storage projects contracted to be built in 2021 and 2022. These projects span retrofits as-a-service, solar + storage PPAs, and stand-alone storage tolling agreements.
Projects include:
- 200-MW/800-MWh Crimson storage project for Southern California Edison (SCE) on public lands in Riverside County, approved by the DOI/BLM. Project to be completed in summer 2022.
- 72-MW/288-MWh storage addition to 200-MW Tranquility solar project in Fresno County, California. Project under construction.
- 88-MW/352-MWh storage addition to 200-MW Garland solar project in Kern County, California. Project under construction.
- 300-MW solar + 140.25-MW/561-MWh storage Slate project in Kings County, California. Project awaiting start to construction.
- 75-MW/300-MWh storage addition to 100-MW Mustang solar project in Kings County, California. Project awaiting start to construction.
Recurrent estimates the above energy storage projects will support more than 400 local construction jobs.
“Solar is expected to have another record-breaking year in the U.S., with 23.8 GWDC in new capacity expected to come online in 2021, along with nearly 12 GWh of battery storage, more than doubling existing capacity,” said Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar. “We applaud our customers for their commitment to use cost-effective lithium-ion storage capacity with minimal carbon footprint to enable a cleaner energy economy and brighter future. We are pleased to continue to offer flexible and reliable clean energy solutions for our customers and the communities we serve across the United States.”
News item from Recurrent
Solarman says
California had better get ‘skippy’, these projects laid out is a (drop) in the bucket when compared to the loss of 2.2GW of baseload energy generation when Diablo Canyon is decommissioned in 2025.
Just a few years ago, the CPUC was pushing for 13GWh of energy storage by around 2025, there has been up around 20GWh in construction queues around California. By the actions of rolling blackouts last summer and the “epiphany” California was shy about 53GWh, there’s a bigger problem coming in 2025. Diablo Canyon will probably require more money to decommission like SONGS did. The ratepayers in PG&E territory will be forced into paying more for electricity to finish decommissioning Diablo Canyon while not getting a generated product from the plant for their cost increase in electricity. California is on track to need a total of around 15GW of wind and solar PV generation with around 90GWh of distributed energy storage by 2026. By 2035 the no more ICE vehicles sold in California mandate will drive another 300GWh a day generation and energy storage to accommodate BEV operations on the roads of California. Depending on what happens with R&D on the energy density of EV battery packs, when gravimetric energy density gets to 500Wh/kg or more, air flight will become electrified in the many and sundry small Cesena and 10 Passenger short hop planes operating every day. California may well need 200GWh of electricity generation in State or imported from out of State (I wouldn’t count on that on a daily basis). Probably around 1.2TWh of in State energy storage to meet the energy mandates of the day.