New solar energy park to provide energy and economic growth to Humboldt and Kern Counties

METTLER, Calif., Jan. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- EDP Renewables North America LLC (EDPR NA), a leading renewable energy developer and a top-five renewable energy owner and operator in the United States, unveiled Sandrini I & II Solar Energy Park (Sandrini I & II) today in Kern County.

The two-phase solar energy park includes the 200 megawatt (MW) Sandrini I, which has a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Shell Energy North America (SENA), and 100 MW Sandrini II, which has a 15-year PPA with Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA). Both phases of the project were commissioned in Q4, 2024.

Generating enough energy to power the equivalent of more than 76,000 California homes each year, Sandrini I has already disbursed more than $510,000 in tax payments to local governments since 2023. This has strengthened the local community by enhancing schools, roads, and other essential services. Additionally, approximately $15 million will be paid to local landowners, who lease a portion of their land to house the solar energy park's infrastructure. Sandrini I & II employed more than 200 workers during construction and will create several permanent operations positions.

Power from Sandrini II will provide over a third of the total annual electric need for customers of RCEA's community choice energy program. RCEA supplies more than 90% of the electricity for Humboldt County on California's rural north coast. Completion of Sandrini II marks a large step toward RCEA meeting its goal of supplying 100% renewable energy to its customers by 2030.

RCEA is one of 25 community choice aggregators (CCAs) now serving communities in California. Sandrini II adds to 8,000 MW of new clean energy resources brought online to date by California's CCAs. An additional 10,000 MW of new clean resources are in contract with these CCAs and are currently under development or construction. The CCAs' clean energy projects collectively support over 36,000 construction jobs across California and the West.

"RCEA is committed to achieving our goal of supplying Humboldt County with 100% renewable energy. Sandrini II is a welcomed addition to our energy portfolio. We are proud to see another high-impact solar project go to work on behalf of our community," RCEA Board Chair Sarah Schaefer said.

The construction and ongoing operations of Sandrini I & II will continue to aid in local spending and support of small businesses - namely restaurants, hotels, and retailers - located near the project. Both phases of the solar energy park also yield environmental benefits, including saving more than 381 million gallons of water each year compared to the amount of water that conventional generation sources would need to produce the same amount of capacity. These water savings, in turn, will help aid Kern County's water conservation goals.

"Sandrini I & II represent EDP Renewables' continued commitment to investing in California and are a direct contribution to California's admirable target of achieving 100 percent clean electricity by 2045," added Sandhya Ganapathy, CEO of EDP Renewables North America. "The Golden State is known for its leadership in solar energy, and EDP Renewables is elated to meet the growing demand for reliable, clean energy sources."

EDPR NA is a clean energy leader in California, currently operating six renewable energy projects in the State, totalling 488 MW of capacity. Its projects include three phases of the Rising Tree Wind Farm, two phases of the Lone Valley Solar Park, and the Windhub A Solar Park. EDPR NA's California portfolio also boasts several other solar parks and battery storage facilities, including the recently completed 200 MW solar and 40 MW storage Scarlet Solar Energy Park.

Multimedia resources include:

• EDPR NA: Fact Sheet
• About EDPR NA in California: Website
• Sandrini Solar Energy Park: Fact Sheet
• Sandrini Solar Energy Park: Website

About EDP Renewables North America
EDP Renewables North America LLC (EDPR NA), its affiliates, and its subsidiaries develop, construct, own, and operate wind farms, solar parks, and energy storage systems throughout North America. Headquartered in Houston, with 61 wind farms, 19 solar parks, and eight regional offices across North America, EDPR NA has developed more than 11,700 megawatts (MW) and operates more than 10,500 MW of onshore utility-scale renewable energy projects. With more than 1,000 employees, EDPR NA's highly qualified team has a proven capacity to execute projects across the continent.

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SOURCE EDP