EDF Renewables North America has commenced full operations at its 457MW Palen Solar complex in California.
The site comprises four solar plants, one of which is located with a 50MW/200 megawatt-hour battery storage system.
The projects, which use horizontal single-axis tracking technology, are located adjacent to each other on unincorporated land in Riverside County, California, administered by the Federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
The BLM designated this area as a Solar Energy Zone (SEZ) and Development Focus Area, land set aside for utility-scale renewable energy development.
The four solar facilities that make up Palen are Maverick 1 (125 MW), Maverick 4 (100 MW), Maverick 6 (100MW) plus the battery storage system and Maverick 7 (132MW).
Construction activity commenced in early 2020 with Maverick 1 and Maverick 4, followed by Maverick 6 and Maverick 7 in early 2021.
The projects were completed in sequence starting in December 2020.
At peak construction, the sites employed over 500 personnel, majority of which were local to Riverside County.
Benoit Rigal, Senior Vice President, Implementation & Projects Management for EDF Renewables North America, said: “The Maverick projects are the cornerstone of our large-scale solar and storage growth and expertise.
“The renewable energy industry has experienced significant volatility over the past years battling both unprecedented pandemic and supply chain constraints. We are excited to now have all four projects operating at full capacity and to contribute to California’s climate goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.”