California has produced its fair share of heavy hitters, from Andre Ward and Andy Ruiz Jr. to Mikey Garcia and Danny Lopez. But soon there will be a new, undisputed heavyweight champion.
The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved the Darden Clean Energy Project (DCEP), the first to be permitted under the state’s Opt-In Certification program. Once constructed, the DCEP will boast the world’s biggest battery energy storage system (BESS), which, by default, makes it the largest solar-plus-storage project on the planet. Proposed by IP Darden I, LLC, a subsidiary of Intersect Power, the project will be built on 9,500 acres of land in western Fresno County that is no longer suitable for agricultural production.
Authorized under Assembly Bill 205, California’s Opt-In Certification program provides a consolidated state permitting option for eligible clean energy undertakings, aiming to streamline the process for bringing large power projects online. Under statute, the environmental review for a project must be completed within 270 days from the point the project application is deemed complete, unless significant project changes arise.
“California is moving faster than ever before to build the clean energy we need – now with the world’s largest solar and battery project,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “With a record amount of clean energy capacity added last year, we’re creating jobs and supporting local communities – all while building a cleaner, more reliable power grid.”
Details on the DCEP
The DCEP includes a 1,150 megawatt (MW) solar facility comprised of approximately 3.1 million panels alongside up to 1,150 MW/4,600 megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery storage, enough to power 850,000 homes for four hours.
Projects seeking approval through the Opt-In Certification program are required to provide community and economic benefits. The DCEP includes:
- $2 million in community investments over the next decade starting with a $320,000 commitment to Centro La Familia Advocacy Services, a nonprofit supporting crime victims, family wellness, and civic engagement in rural communities.
- More than 2,000 prevailing-wage construction jobs to support the local workforce throughout the construction period, which will last from 1.5 to 3 years.
- An estimated $169 million in economic benefits to the local area over the project’s lifetime, estimated at 35 years.
“Today’s clean energy projects must do more than just deliver megawatts. They should create value in the communities where they’re built,” confirmed CEC Commissioner Noemi Gallardo. “This project exemplifies a community-focused approach that advances the state’s energy goals while creating benefits for local workers and residents.”
“The transition to 100% clean electricity by 2045 requires bold, utility-scale projects like Darden,” added CEC Chair David Hochschild. “This project is significant not only for its size but its cutting-edge design and safety measures.”
California’s Battery Build-out, Record Setting
California leads the U.S. and trails only China globally in battery storage capacity, operating more than 200 utility-scale systems and over 250,000 commercial and residential installations, totaling more than 15,700 megawatts statewide. It seems like installations are popping up left and right, including others in Fresno County, like EDP Renewables North America’s newly inaugurated 200 MW Scarlett II Solar Energy Park, which has a co-located 150 MW/600 MWh BESS.
The Darden project builds on a series of clean energy records recently set in California. On three out of every five days last year, California’s main grid hit 100% clean energy usage for some portion of the day. So far this year, the main grid has reached 100% clean energy on 138 out of 151 days, or 91% of days through May. In 2024, the state added 7,000 MW of clean energy capacity to the grid – the largest single-year increase in the state’s history – and has added 25,000 megawatts of capacity over the past five years.
Other Opt-In Projects
Last October, Factor This reported that the CEC was reviewing six projects under its new certification process, including the DCEP. The CEC is now weighing at least eight. The Perkins Renewable Energy Project’s solar-plus-storage setup is identical to the DCEP; it was also proposed by an Intersect Power subsidiary, IP Perkins LLC.
If all eight projects are approved by the CEC and built to spec, California would fast-track the construction of 205 MW of onshore wind, 2,600 MW of solar PV, and a whopping 3,640.7 MW of battery energy storage.
