Southern Power Company, Atlanta, Georgia, a leading U.S. wholesale energy provider and subsidiary of Southern Company, has been awarded two 20-year power purchase agreements by Southern California Edison (SCE) and is adding battery-based energy storage resources at both Southern Power’s Tranquillity Solar Facility and Garland Solar Facility in California.
“These projects will be two of the first co-located solar and storage projects operating in the California market,” said Southern Power President Bill Grantham. “We’re excited to be a part of the effort to enhance California’s grid reliability. The addition of these storage resources to our clean energy portfolio is a great strategic fit for our business and will further position Southern Power to meet our customers’ needs as the energy industry continues to evolve.”
The battery-based energy storage additions will enhance California’s grid reliability by providing SCE and the California ISO (CAISO) with additional flexible resource capacity that will assist in further integrating intermittent renewable energy into the grid. For the Garland Solar Facility in Kern County, California, 88 megawatts (MW) and 352 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy storage will be added, while 72 MW and 288 MWh of energy storage will be added to the Tranquillity Solar Facility in Fresno County, California.
The energy storage projects will be owned in partnership with AIP Management (on behalf of Danish pension funds PKA and PenSam) and Global Atlantic Financial Group, both of which have existing ownership interests in the Garland and Tranquillity solar facilities that went into commercial operation in 2016. Southern Power operates the solar projects and will be responsible for operating the energy storage projects upon completion.
These two energy storage projects align with Southern Power’s growth strategy of developing and acquiring projects covered by long-term contracts with strong credit counterparties.
About Southern Power
Southern Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, is a leading U.S. wholesale energy provider meeting the electricity needs of municipalities, electric cooperatives, investor-owned utilities and other energy customers. Southern Power and its subsidiaries, some of which are owned in part with various partners, own or operate 52 facilities operating or under development in 13 states with more than 12,080 MW of generating capacity in Alabama, California, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington and West Virginia.
About Southern Company
Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is a leading energy company serving 9 million customers through its subsidiaries. The company provides clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy through electric operating companies in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation company serving wholesale customers across America, a leading distributed energy infrastructure company, a fiber optics network and telecommunications services. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and affordable prices below the national average. For more than a century, we have been building the future of energy and developing the full portfolio of energy resources, including carbon-free nuclear, advanced carbon capture technologies, natural gas, renewables, energy efficiency and storage technology. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation and a low-carbon future, Southern Company and its subsidiaries develop the customized energy solutions our customers and communities require to drive growth and prosperity.
