Leeward Renewable Energy (Leeward) and Valley Clean Energy (VCE) have entered into a 15-year solar-plus-storage PPA involving Leeward’s 72MW solar and 36MW battery storage Willow Springs 3 facility in Kern County, California.
The Willow Springs 3 project will supply electricity to 27% of VCE’s 125,000 customers in Yolo County, California by the end of 2023.
The agreement will also support VCE in achieving its goal of having a 100% carbon-neutral portfolio by 2030.
As part of the agreement, Leeward will contribute to VCE’s local workforce development and sustainability efforts in Yolo and Kern counties to support local hiring and training.
VCE’s board chair and Davis City Council member Dan Carson said: “Valley Clean Energy is proud to announce our partnership with Leeward in the Willow Springs 3 project.
“The urgency of climate change demands that we add more new renewables to the grid, but our mission does not stop there.
“Bringing additional benefits to our community is a priority for VCE, and this agreement strengthens our communities where we need it most-with clean energy and good jobs.”
Willow Springs 3 will generate significant economic benefits for Kern County and create about 300 high-quality local jobs during construction.
This announcement builds on Leeward’s momentum in the Antelope Valley, marking its fourth PPA serving the renewable energy needs of leading Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs) from its solar projects in Kern County.
Leeward’s senior vice president of development Kathryn Arbeit added: “Willow Springs 3 will further enhance our ability to provide Californians with a cleaner, more reliable power grid.
“We are very excited to partner with Valley Clean Energy to not only expand the use of renewable energy throughout California, but also deliver additional benefits to the residents of Kern and Yolo Counties through local workforce engagement and sustainability initiatives.”
Leeward will own and operate the facility.
Construction will begin December 2021 and the project is expected to begin delivering energy to Valley Clean Energy by December 2023.