EDF Renewables North America said that all four units of the Palen Solar site in Riverside County, California, have entered service. The site includes 620 MWdc of solar PV plus 200 MWh of battery energy storage.
The projects use horizontal single-axis tracking technology and are adjacent to each other on unincorporated land administered by the Federal Bureau of Land Management. The BLM tagged the area as a Solar Energy Zone and Development Focus Area for utility-scale renewable energy development.
The four projects from EDF Renewables NA include:
Maverick 1: 173 MWdc (125 MWac)
Maverick 4: 137 MWdc (100 MWac)
Maverick 6: 131 MWdc (100 MWac) plus 200 MWh (50 MW) battery storage
Maverick 7: 179 MWdc (132 MWac)
Construction began in early 2020 with Maverick 1 and Maverick 4. Those were followed by Maverick 6 and Maverick 7 in early 2021. The projects were completed in sequence starting in December 2020.
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EDF Renewables’ Asset Optimization group will handle operations and maintenance services. The group will provide NERC compliance support, remote monitoring, and balance-of-plant management to maximize power production.
Maverick 1 delivers 125 MW of its output to Southern California Edison and Maverick 4 and 7 supply energy to Shell Energy North America, all under 15-year power purchase agreements. CleanPowerSF signed a 20-year PPA with EDF Renewables for the power produced by Maverick 6. CleanPowerSF is a not-for-profit program operated by San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
In September 2021, MEAG/Munich Re agreed to take a 50% stake in both Maverick 6 and 7.
