Four California CCAs Procure Over 15 MW of Local Solar Power with 8 MWh of Storage Within Their Service Areas

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May 02, 2023, 08:44 ET

Leading distributed energy provider enables CCAs to meet resource requirements while providing clean, local energy to 3,300 residents

SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Renewable America, a leading provider of distributed energy resources in California, announced today that it will provide over 15 MW of solar power coupled with 8 MWh of energy storage to four different Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs). Through these five projects in total, Renewable America is enabling these CCAs to progress further and more quickly toward their state-mandated Resource Adequacy (RA) program in light of the California Independent System Operator's (CAISO) recent marketplace limitations. All five projects are now fully subscribed and will complete construction by Q3 of 2023 or Q1 of 2024. Once operational, these projects will provide more affordable, locally produced clean energy to 3,300 Northern California households, nearly half of which will be located in disadvantaged communities.

4.2 MW solar farm built by Renewable America's CEO, Ardi Arian

"We are excited to be working with Renewable America to help us meet our RA obligation as a Load Serving Entity. This community-scale project is on track to be completed in under two years, unlike larger utility-scale projects that can take many years to develop," said Matthew Marshall, Executive Director of Redwood Coast Energy Authority. "We are excited to work with Renewable Americas to accelerate progress on our goals for locally sourced distributed energy resources. With the extensive development experience needed to move this type of project forward, Renewable America is a key partner in increasing our community's access to clean, resilient energy sources."

Ever since the 2001 California energy crisis, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has required that every load serving entity, including CCAs, are able to allocate enough resource capacity for their load to ensure energy resiliency. Every year, the CAISO opens a new window for applications for cluster studies, which are performed to ensure that system reliability and standards for no adverse impact are met. In March 2021, Cluster Study 14 received an unprecedented three times more applications than in previous years, earning it the nickname "The Super Cluster." However, as a result of the overwhelming response, the study's completion has been delayed by over two years, and CAISO is still in the process of finishing it.

Renewable America has developed a unique approach to deliver RA to CCAs, bypassing the traditional cluster study route for new resources connecting to CAISO. By taking on greater development risk, Renewable America provides a solution for the limitation in the Capacity market. Furthermore, Renewable America is managing everything in-house for all five of these new solar and energy storage projects, including scouting new project sites, interconnection, engineering, permitting and PPAs. Not only will all five of these new projects provide greater energy resiliency for local communities, but two of them are located within disadvantaged communities, ensuring equitable access to clean energy. These projects will not only preserve agricultural land use but will also benefit surrounding land by creating pollinator-friendly habitats within a 5-mile radius. Even after the 35-year project lifetime, the soil quality will continue to improve, ensuring a sustainable and environmentally conscious approach to energy production.

"With the increase of power outages and Public Safety Power Shutoffs in California, distributed generation local solar projects are more essential than ever to ensure energy resiliency while also mitigating climate change," said Ardi Arian, CEO of Renewable America. "On top of power outage challenges, CCAs are facing unprecedented challenges when it comes to RA. We are pleased to be able to provide high quality, local solutions in less time for CCAs throughout California who are seeking alternative options to meet capacity needs."

To learn more about Renewable America and its commitment to sustainable energy production, please visit renewam.com, where you can also view the company's pipeline of projects that are "Ready for PPA." Renewable America's projects are located across California and are designed to provide clean, reliable energy to local communities.

About Renewable America
Renewable America is a leading provider of distributed energy resources, serving communities with small utility-scale, locally generated solar plus storage facilities and community microgrids that work in conjunction with the distribution grid. With over 15 years of experience in development, engineering, procurement and construction throughout Europe and North America, Renewable America creates resilience within communities by delivering local power to local load. The company's end-to-end development process maximizes quality and efficiency, while minimizing lasting environmental impact on site. Based in Santa Clara, Renewable America has over 320 megawatts MW of solar and 680 MWh of energy storage projects under development throughout California. Learn more at https://renewam.com/.

Renewable America Media Contact:
Richele Delapaz
[email protected]
(408) 663-6647

SOURCE Renewable America