EDF Renewables North America and Power Sustainable Energy Infrastructure Announce Commercial Operation of Desert Quartzite

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EDF Renewables North America (EDFR) and Power Sustainable Energy Infrastructure Inc. (PSEI) today announced that their jointly owned Desert Quartzite Solar+Storage Project achieved operational status in December 2024. The electricity generated from the 375 megawatt (MWdc)/300MWac solar project, combined with a 150 MWac/4-hour battery energy storage system (BESS) is delivered to Clean Power Alliance (CPA), under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA).

Desert Quartzite, located on Federal lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in Riverside County, California, is designed to store electricity during peak hours for solar generation in a series of batteries. This stored energy is then dispatched later in the day or night to help manage capacity demand, creating a balance between electricity generation and demand.

“EDF Renewables recognizes the growing importance of battery energy storage systems as a complementary market to our core generation business. These systems provide reliable, affordable, and clean energy even in the absence of sunlight,” said Devon Muto, Vice President, West Development at EDF Renewables. “During the peak construction phase of the project, we were able to create 450 jobs, and we are particularly proud of our safety practices which resulted in zero recordable incidents during the two-year construction phase of the project.”

“We are thrilled to be expanding our presence in the California utility-scale market,” said Pierre-Olivier Perras, Managing Partner at PSEI. “This project is a testament to the strong market fundamentals supporting renewables and battery storage in North America.”

The energy storage system not only helps to smooth electricity prices but also provides grid stability in an environmentally friendly way. This project reinforces EDF Renewables’ commitment to maximizing renewable energy's potential and fostering the acceleration of the energy transition, contributing to the decarbonization of the economy.

At full capacity, Desert Quartzite is expected to generate enough electricity to meet the consumption needs of more than 163,000 average California homes¹. This is equivalent to avoiding over 669,000 metric tons of carbon (CO₂) emissions annually which represents the greenhouse gas emissions from more than 145,000 passenger vehicles driven over the course of one year², making a significant contribution to California’s efforts to combat climate change.

EDF Renewables, one of the largest renewable developers in North America, is committed to providing solutions to meet our customers’ carbon-reduction goals. With over 35 years of experience and 18 gigawatts of wind, solar, and storage projects developed, EDF Renewables provides integrated energy solutions from grid-scale power to electric vehicle charging.

¹ According to U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2019 Residential Electricity Sales and U.S. Census Data and typical transmission assumptions.
² According to U.S. EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies calculations and typical transmission assumptions.

About EDF Renewables North America

EDF Renewables North America is a market leading independent power producer and service provider with 35 years of expertise in renewable energy. The Company delivers grid-scale power: wind (onshore and offshore), solar photovoltaic, and storage projects; distribution-scale power: solar and storage; asset optimization: technical, operational, and commercial expertise to maximize performance of generating projects, and onsite solutions, through the Company’s PowerFlex subsidiary, offering a full suite of onsite energy solutions for commercial and industrial customers: solar, storage, EV charging, energy management systems, and microgrids. EDF Renewables’ North American portfolio consists of 18 GW of developed projects and 14.6 GW under service contracts. EDF Renewables North America is a subsidiary of EDF Renewables, the dedicated renewable energy affiliate of the EDF Group. For more information visit: www.edf-re.com. Connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

About Power Sustainable Energy Infrastructure

Power Sustainable is a sustainability-focused alternative asset manager which finances companies and projects that aim for both competitive returns and positive sustainability outcomes. The firm offers institutional investors exposure to alternative assets, which aim to accelerate and scale sustainable solutions across multiple industries.

Power Sustainable is a subsidiary of Power Corporation of Canada (TSX: POW) (TSX: POW.PR.E), an international management and holding company that focuses on financial services in North America, Europe, and Asia.

With CAD 4.0B in assets under management (as of September 30, 2024), Power Sustainable’s mission is to catalyze capital towards clean global solutions. Learn more on Power Sustainable’s LinkedIn and Website.