NextEra Energy Resources solar and battery projects to power Bay Area homes and businesses
Sunnyvale, Calif. – Today Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) announced the execution of two 15-year agreements with subsidiaries of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC. The agreements include Grace Orchard Solar, a new-build solar project, and Yellow Pine III, a new-build standalone battery storage project. Both projects will help SVCE meet its long-term clean energy goals.
“Our board has always prioritized new-construction projects to support the development of both renewable generation and battery storage,” said Girish Balachandran, SVCE CEO. “The NextEra Energy Resources solar project will help meet our 100% clean goals set by our communities, and the battery project will bolster grid-reliability with benefits stretching beyond our geographic region.”
The Grace Orchard Solar project is slated to come online in the summer of 2027 and will provide SVCE 120 megawatts (MW) of renewable solar energy, accounting for 8-9% of SVCE’s 2028 annual retail sales. The renewable energy will contribute to SVCE’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requirements set by the state.
SVCE has also purchased 115 MW of four-hour lithium-ion battery capacity, 460 megawatt-hours (MWh), from the Yellow Pine III project that is expected to be online in summer 2025. The battery storage will count towards SVCE’s resource adequacy requirements and Mid-Term Reliability obligations.
“We are very pleased to work with SVCE to provide essential reliability when it is needed most while also enabling the deployment of additional renewables in California,” said Anthony Pedroni, vice president of renewables and storage development at NextEra Energy Resources.
With these new projects, SVCE has contracted for over 20 long-term power purchase agreements totaling nearly 800 MW of clean and renewable capacity and nearly 1,845 MWh of battery storage. SVCE expects that in 2030 more than 70% of its clean power mix will come from renewable energy, surpassing the goals set by SB 100, which requires energy generated from 60% renewable sources by 2030 and 100% carbon-free by 2045.
In 2020, SVCE contracted with NextEra Energy Resources for 50 MW of renewable solar capacity and 104 MWh of battery storage from the new-build Yellow Pine I project. The Yellow Pine I project successfully began delivering power to SVCE customers in July 2023.
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About Silicon Valley Clean Energy
Silicon Valley Clean Energy is a not-for-profit, community-owned agency providing clean electricity from renewable and carbon-free sources to more than 275,000 residential and commercial customers in 13 Santa Clara County jurisdictions. As a public agency, net revenues are returned to the community to keep rates competitive and promote clean energy programs. Silicon Valley Clean Energy is advancing innovative solutions to fight climate change by decarbonizing the grid, transportation, and buildings. Learn more at SVCleanEnergy.org.
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Michaela Pippin | Principal Communications Specialist
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