Strata Clean Energy announced the completion of the 70MW/280MWh Inland Empire Energy Storage project, located in Rialto, California, 4 December.
The Inland Empire Energy Storage project achieved a commercial operation date (COD) of 9 October, which Strata credits to its partnership with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E).
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PG&E, the biggest of California’s three investor-owned utilities, has claimed to now have more than 3.5GW of battery energy storage under contract.
The project takes in surplus energy from the grid when demand is low, discharging it for peak usage hours.
Bob Schaffeld, president of Strata, said: “This project reflects our commitment to advancing energy storage solutions and delivering results that support a sustainable, renewable-powered grid.”
A spokesperson for Strata was unable to offer any additional information regarding associated costs with the project prior to publication.
Strata is also active in other US markets. In November, it signed a tolling agreement with Arizona Public Service (APS) for a large-scale standalone battery energy storage project (BESS) in Avondale, Arizona.
California is the largest energy storage market in the US, with 10,522MW of installed battery capacity as of 1 November, 2024.
The state is also home to developer Terra-Gen’s Edwards & Sanborn solar-plus-storage project, thought to be the world’s biggest lithium-ion (Li-ion) BESS facility at 3,287MWh, alongside 875MWdc of solar PV, located in Kern County.
Alpha Omega Power secures financing for 100MW/400MWh California Bess
Alpha Omega Power (AOP) has acquired and raised financing for the 100MW/400MWh Caballero battery energy storage project in Nipomo, California 3 December. Financing was secured in collaboration with Fengate Asset Management, following a tax equity commitment with US Bancorp Impact Finance in late November.
The project will be the first operational utility-scale battery storage project for AOP, a developer and operator of BESS projects. A spokesperson for the deal was not able to disclose associated costs of the Caballero system but reported that the system will be operational in January 2025.
AOP is working on the project with battery optimiser Gridmatic. Gridmatic will use its AI-powered platform to optimise battery operations and manages risk for the Caballero project through resource trading, ISO market settlement, asset performance, and market update reports.
AOP is based in Houston and backed by North American investment firm Fengate.
According to AOP’s website, the company is currently in late-stage development on a 200MW/800MWh BESS, Clementine, in El Paso, Texas, and has an unnamed 200MW/400MWh BESS under construction in Galveston, Texas.
The optimisation company is active in battery energy storage projects across the US, with a reported 300MW under contract within CAISO and ERCOT.
Gridmatic’s 2023 ERCOT Storage Report, published May 2024, showed a 32% average revenue boost for grid-tied battery systems. The company currently manages 300MW of energy storage capacity.
In early November, Gridmatic and Energy Vault entered in to a 10-year deal for a 57MW/114MWh BESS located in Scurry County, Texas, expected operational by summer 2025.
