World’s Largest Solar + Storage Site Goes Live in Kern County, California
The Edwards & Sanborn Solar + Energy Storage site has commenced operations in Kern County, California. This pioneering project, boasting an impressive 875 MWdc of solar energy and 3,287 MWh of energy storage, has officially earned the distinguished title of the world's largest solar + storage site.
The endeavor marks a historic public-private partnership between the U.S. Air Force and private entities, situated on a vast expanse of land encompassing both private territory and sections of Edwards Air Force Base. Notably, it stands as the largest collaboration of its kind ever witnessed within the U.S. Department of Defense. This colossal energy hub supplies power not only to the local community but also to major entities such as San Jose, Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., the Clean Power Alliance, and even Starbucks.
Spanning across 4,660 acres, the project, spearheaded by Terra-Gen and constructed by Mortenson, commenced construction in early 2021, achieving substantial completion last year. The sheer scale of the endeavor is staggering, involving the installation of over 98 miles of MV Wire, 361 miles of DC Wire, 120,720 LG Chem, Samsung, and BYD batteries, and more than 1.9 million First Solar panels.
This milestone was recently highlighted by NASA's Landsat 9 satellite, which captured a breathtaking image of the project from space. Furthermore, the collaboration underscores the efficacy of the Air Force Enhanced Use Lease (EUL) program, facilitating the leasing of underutilized land for sustainable development. The Edwards array signifies the fifth and most expansive solar EUL project within the Air Force, adding to similar ventures at other bases across the nation.
Source: renewableenergyworld.com
