US's largest solar + battery storage

The largest solar and battery storage project in the United States, Edwards & Sanborn, has commenced operations in Kern County, California. Developed and owned by Terra-Gen, the project spans 4,660 acres in the Mojave Desert, featuring 875 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity and 3,320 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy storage.

Situated on both private land and Edwards Air Force Base land, Edwards & Sanborn marks the largest public-private partnership involving the US Air Force, according to the project's contractor, Mortensen. The installation incorporates 1.9 million First Solar PV panels and 120,720 long-duration energy storage batteries from LG Chem, Samsung, and BYD, connected by 400 miles of wire.

The project's total output includes 875 MWdc of solar energy and 3,287 MWh of energy storage, with a maximum interconnection capacity of 1,300 MW. Edwards & Sanborn supplies power to various entities, including the City of San Jose, Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., the Clean Power Alliance, and Starbucks.

Brian Gorda, Vice President of Engineering at Terra-Gen, emphasized the project's transformative nature and its role in enhancing grid resiliency.