IPP Enlight Renewable Energy has reached development milestones for its total 1.21GW solar plus 4GWh energy storage CO Bar Complex in Arizona, US, and is now advancing the project toward operation.
The CO Bar Complex includes five stages, and Enlight claims it will be among the largest renewable energy projects in the US.
CO Bar 1 features 258MW of solar PV generation and an 824MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). CO Bar 2 and CO Bar 3 contribute an additional 480MW and 473MW of solar PV, respectively, whereas CO Bar 4 and CO Bar 5 are solely energy storage projects, offering 1,600MWh and 1,576MWh of storage, respectively.
According to Enlight, the expected total investment for the Complex is roughly US$2.86 billion to US$3.01 billion, with a net investment of about US$1.55 billion to US$1.63 billion after tax benefits. In its first full year of operation, the Complex is projected to generate approximately US$264 million to US$278 million through electricity sales.
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The CO Bar Complex has signed a 1GWac large generator interconnection agreement. Additionally, the company recently entered into two 20-year busbar energy service agreements with utility Salt River Project (SRP) for the Energy Storage stages, CO Bar 4 and 5. These agreements provide Enlight with off-take commitments for the entire CO Bar Complex.
Notably, Enlight says, in 2025, all five stages of the project were safe harboured. Enlight did not reveal where the materials were safe harboured from; however, Chinese energy storage companies in the US face major hurdles due to federal policies reducing reliance on foreign entities of concern (FEOC) in the supply chain.
The ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill Act’ (H.R. 1) kept tax credits for batteries through 2033 but added restrictions disqualifying projects receiving significant aid from restricted foreign entities. These rules target materials, products, and agreements, challenging an industry where about 75% of US Lithium-ion batteries are imported from China.
FEOC thresholds start at 55% for 2026 projects and rise to 75% after 2029. Projects underway can continue under safe harbour status, covering many Chinese supply deals. This offers a short-term opportunity for projects with existing Chinese agreements, but long-term impacts could be significant.
Recently, the H.I.G. Capital-backed energy platform Greenflash Infrastructure announced it had safe harboured more than 10GWh of lithium-ion energy storage capacity.
Construction at CO Bar 1-2 has moved into the next phase, with crews working on civil tasks at those sites. Construction at CO Bar 3-5 is anticipated to be fully mobilised within the next 12 months. The initial commercial operations are planned to begin in phases from late 2027 to mid-2028.
In November 2025, Enlight secured a US$1.44 billion debt financing for its Snowflake A solar-plus-storage project, also located in Arizona.
The Snowflake A project combines 600MW of solar PV with 1,900MWh of energy storage capacity and is expected to achieve commercial operation by the second half of 2027.
In the previous month, the company finalised two tax equity partnerships totalling nearly US$340 million for its 290MWdc/940MWh solar-plus-storage Roadrunner project.
Roadrunner is also located in Arizona and has a 20-year busbar power purchase agreement with utility Arizona Electric Power Cooperative (AEPCO).
The Energy Storage Summit USA will be held from 24-25 March 2026, in Dallas, TX. It features keynote speeches and panel discussions on topics like FEOC challenges, power demand forecasting, and managing the BESS supply chain. ESN Premium subscribers can get an exclusive discount. For complete information, visit the Energy Storage Summit USA website.
