EDF Renewables North America has achieved commercial operation of the Desert Harvest 1 (114 MW DC) and Desert Harvest 2 (100 MW DC) projects.
Desert Harvest 1 provides electricity to MCE under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA), while Desert Harvest 2 supplies energy and renewable attributes to Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA) under a 25-year renewable energy credit (REC) and index structure contract.
The two projects are located adjacent to each other on unincorporated land in Riverside County, Calif., administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM designated this area as a solar energy zone (SEZ) and development focus area – land set aside for utility-scale renewable energy development. Construction for the Desert Harvest projects included careful considerations and mitigations for a variety of environmental issues including local wildlife habitats, tribal and cultural resources, aesthetics, and noise and dust control. Both projects consist of horizontal single-axis tracking solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. Desert Harvest 2 includes a 35 MW, 4-hour energy storage system (ESS).
“EDF Renewables is pleased to partner with MCE and SCPPA’s participating members – Anaheim, Burbank and Vernon – to supply affordable, in-state solar energy to their respective customers through the Desert Harvest Solar Projects,” says Ryan Pfaff, executive vice president of development at EDF Renewables. “We are proud to bring these important solar additions to fruition particularly during this very challenging pandemic. The site construction team and all our subcontractors and suppliers are to be commended for delivering on time while keeping health and safety a top priority.”
The construction of Desert Harvest 1 and 2 represented almost 190,000 labor hours in partnership with local trades and unions including: Labors Local 1184, Operators Local 12, Ironworkers Local 433 and IBEW Local 440. These partnerships contribute to MCE’s over 1.5 million labor hours and 5,000 jobs on new California renewable energy projects.
EDF Renewables’ Asset Optimization group will perform operations and maintenance services for the life of the project. The group will provide NERC compliance support, remote monitoring and balance-of-plant management to maximize power production.
