San Diego Community Power (SDCP) has signed a PPA with an affiliate of RAI Energy International (RAI Energy), the Silicon Valley-based global renewable energy development company.
The project located in Imperial County, California is an integrated 100MW photovoltaic solar energy project with up to 150MW/600MWh of battery energy storage.
The Vikings Energy Farm will provide SDCP with a 20-year supply of renewable energy, help meet peak summer demand, and support grid reliability.
RAI Energy, through its affiliate Vikings Energy Farm LLC, will develop, design, permit, construct, own, and operate the proposed project.
Construction on the Vikings Energy Farm is expected to begin in the fall of 2022, with commercial operations expected to begin in the summer of 2023.
RAI Energy has a union labour agreement in place and is expected to employ in excess of 250 union workers at peak construction.
With this first project, called the Vikings Energy Farm, SDCP delivers on its promise of investing in regional renewable energy projects that support economic development and local jobs.
Under the terms of the power purchase agreement, RAI Energy’s Vikings Energy Farm project will help SDCP power the equivalent of 50,000 homes.
Chair of the SDCP board Joe Mosca said: “We are thrilled to be delivering on our promise to invest in projects that deliver more renewable energy to our customers and support regional jobs and economic development.
“The Vikings Energy Farm project will provide clean energy when we need it most while supporting our goal of procuring 100% renewable energy to our customers by 2035 or sooner.”
RAI Energy chief executive Mohammed Alrai said: “Vikings Energy Farm represents the future of how we fight climate change and increase renewable energy.
“By combining solar and energy storage, RAI Energy will be able to inject renewable energy into the grid when it is most needed to help ensure reliability and resiliency.
“We are proud to partner with San Diego Community Power on this milestone project and we remain committed to helping power California with clean, reliable solar energy and storage.”