California Community Power Members Approve Second Lithium-Ion Long-Duration Energy Storage Contract
Six CCAs sign on to new California lithium-ion storage project

March 7, 2022

Monterey, Calif. – At a special meeting of the California Community Power (CC Power) board on February 25, members of the Joint Powers Agency voted to enter into a contract for the 50-megawatt (MW)/400-megawatt hour (MWh) Goal Line long-duration energy storage project. The lithium-ion battery storage project, developed by Onward Energy, will have eight hours of discharge duration and will be located in Escondido, California, with an expected online date of 2025.

“The collaboration of California Community Power members has been a tremendous success as we enter into our second long-duration storage agreement,” said Geof Syphers, CC Power Board Chair and Sonoma Clean Power CEO. “This new contract allows the participating members to meet our state-mandated long-duration storage requirements, showing how CCAs are leading the way to advance clean energy in California.”

“Combined with the approval of the Tumbleweed project in January 2022 – the first CC Power long-duration storage contract, the Goal Line contract demonstrates the commitment of member CCAs to confront the reliability needs of the power grid to hit California’s greenhouse gas reduction targets by 2030,” said Tim Haines, CC Power Interim General Manager.

“Onward is honored that California Community Power has entrusted us with this important project,” said Steve Doyon, CEO of Onward Energy. “Long-duration storage is an important part of the energy transition, and we are proud that the Goal Line battery storage facility will provide clean, reliable power to CC Power members for years to come.”

Participating CCAs

The Goal Line project adheres to the long-duration storage enhanced conditions adopted by the CC Power Board. It will be constructed under a Project Labor Agreement, assuring prevailing wages and use of apprenticeship programs.

This joint procurement effort for long-duration energy storage is a continuation of the Oct. 2020 Request for Offers (RFO) seeking to procure cost-effective and viable long-duration storage resources. A subset of CC Power member CCAs issued the RFO before the California Public Utilities Commission Mid-Term Reliability procurement order (Decision 21-06-035). The Goal Line and Tumbleweed contracts will allow the participating CCAs to meet their obligation for the long-duration energy storage requirement mandated by the CPUC.

Participation in the RFO and resulting projects is voluntary for each CC Power member. The participating agencies for the Goal Line project are CleanPowerSF, Redwood Coast Energy Authority, San Jose Clean Energy, Silicon Valley Clean Energy, Sonoma Clean Power Authority, and Valley Clean Energy. The governing boards of each participating member will follow their local review and approval processes for the contract and associated agreements for the Goal Line project.

The ongoing RFO process and member participation are discussed during noticed public meetings of the CC Power board. Additional projects identified during the competitive solicitation process will be reviewed at upcoming meetings. Meeting information is available at cacommunitypower.org/meetings.

About California Community Power

California Community Power is a Joint Powers Agency comprised of ten California Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs). The agency allows its member CCAs to combine their buying power to procure new, cost-effective clean energy and reliability resources to continue advancing local and state climate goals. California Community Power members represent over 3 million customers across more than 145 municipalities spanning from Humboldt County to Santa Barbara County. Learn more at cacommunitypower.org.

About Onward Energy
Onward Energy is an independent power generator that owns and operates a 4GW portfolio of solar, wind, and gas generation projects in the U.S. With 43 projects in 16 states, Onward Energy is a national leader in the clean energy transition, investing in the next generation of reliable, clean technologies that will enable our customers and communities to meet their decarbonization goals faster. More information can be found at www.OnwardEnergy.com.

Media Contact
Pamela Leonard
Communications Manager
Silicon Valley Clean Energy
pamela.leonard@svcleanenergy.org
O: 408-721-5301 x1004

Here are a few links to coverage of the story:

• Energy Storage News
• Solar Power World
• Utility Dive

Seven California Community Power Members Contract for 69 Megawatts of Long Duration Energy Storage

Project marks first major procurement milestone for CCA Joint Powers Agency

Monterey, Calif. –

At the January 19 California Community Power (CC Power) board meeting, members of the Joint Powers Agency voted to enter into an energy storage service agreement with REV Renewables for 69 megawatts (MW)/552 megawatt hours (MWh) of long-duration energy storage. The REV Renewables Tumbleweed project will be a CAISO grid-connected, lithium-ion battery storage resource located near Rosamond, in Kern County, California, with an expected online date of 2026.

“Long-duration energy storage is a vital resource, needed to amplify the value of renewable power, and accelerate California’s shift to a clean, reliable and affordable grid,” said Girish Balachandran, California Community Power Board Chair and Silicon Valley Clean Energy CEO. “This first project is an exciting milestone that shows how CCAs work together to advance our shared goals in the transition to a carbon-free grid.”

The California Public Utilities Commission Mid-Term Reliability Procurement order (Decision 21-06-035) requires all CPUC-jurisdictional load serving entities, including CC Power Members, to procure from energy storage facilities capable of discharging for a minimum of 8 hours. This project satisfies approximately 55% of the long-duration storage compliance requirements of the participating members.

This joint procurement effort for long-duration energy storage began before the CPUC issued the new procurement order when a subset of the CC Power members issued a Request for Offers (RFO) in Oct. 2020 seeking to procure cost effective and viable long-duration storage resources.

Participating CCAs

Participation in the RFO and resulting projects is voluntary for each CC Power member. The participating agencies for this project are CleanPowerSF, Peninsula Clean Energy, Redwood Coast Energy Authority, San Jose Clean Energy, Silicon Valley Clean Energy, Sonoma Clean Power Authority and Valley Clean Energy. Participating members will follow their own review and approval processes with their local, elected boards.

The Tumbleweed project adheres to the long-duration storage enhanced conditions adopted by the CC Power Board for this procurement effort. It will be constructed under a Project Labor Agreement, assuring prevailing wages and use of apprenticeship programs and is expected to create dozens of new jobs.

The ongoing RFO process, as well as member participation, have been discussed during noticed, public meetings of the CC Power board. Additional projects identified during the competitive solicitation process will be discussed at upcoming meetings. Meeting information is available at cacommunitypower.org/meetings.

This story was also covered here:

• https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/long-duration-energy-storage/lithium-ion-batteries-beat-novel-long-duration-tech-in-california-contest
• https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/lithium-ion-takes-early-lead-in-calif-race-for-longer-lasting-energy-storage-68468842
• https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2022/01/26/california-community-power-members-procure-69mw-of-long-duration-storage/
• https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2022/01/7-california-ccas-sign-on-for-nearly-70-mw-long-duration-energy-storage-project/