FRESNO, CA – The City of Fresno’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU) conducted a groundbreaking ceremony today for the development of its on-site solar energy and battery storage portfolio.
The projects are currently taking shape at three energy-intensive sites – the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility, the Northeast Surface Water Treatment Facility, and the Southeast Surface Water Treatment Facility. DPU’s 27 megawatt-DC (MW-DC) “behind-the-meter” portfolio is being developed in partnership with ForeFront Power, a leading developer of solar energy and battery storage projects in the U.S. and Mexico, and the projects will be constructed by local union labor from the IBEW Local 100.
The DPU projects are part of the City of Fresno’s comprehensive plan to lower its energy costs, bolster environmental resiliency, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At a time of rising electricity costs, these DPU projects are expected to save the City over $100 million in taxpayer dollars by 2045.
“Today is a great day for the City of Fresno,” said Mayor Jerry Dyer. “DPU is harnessing cutting-edge renewable energy and battery storage technology to reduce its energy burden, and to safeguard our air and environment for future generations.”
“Additionally, these projects will save taxpayer money – more than $100 million over the next 20 years just from the DPU sites. I’m proud of Fresno for leading the way by advancing towards our energy goals, creating local jobs, and saving taxpayer funds in the process,” Mayor Dyer said.
“We’re pleased to have helped the City of Fresno with this momentous expansion of its renewable energy assets,” said Rachel McLaughlin, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at ForeFront Power. “It makes sense that with over 300 days of sunshine per year, the City is harnessing one of its most abundant resources to protect pocketbooks, the air, and the climate all at once.”
Under the terms of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the City, ForeFront Power develops, owns, and maintains the solar and storage portfolio. ForeFront Power charges the City a fixed, below-market rate for electricity, which is locked in for the 20-year duration of the agreement. ForeFront Power will continue to operate and maintain the system at no cost to the City.
Each DPU site will feature ground-mounted solar energy arrays and single-axis trackers, with a combined output of 47 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually. When completed, the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility site is expected to be one of the largest behind-the-meter solar energy and battery storage projects in California, with 17 MW-DC of solar and 2.3 MW-DC of battery storage. Moreover, the City of Fresno will host the largest multi-campus solar energy and battery storage portfolio in the world at 34 MW-DC.
The development of the City’s solar and storage portfolio has created 192 local jobs, with the three DPU sites contributing 120 of these local jobs. The DPU projects will complement the City’s completed behind-the-meter solar energy assets at the Fresno Convention Center, the Highway City Science Center, the Police Training Facility, and Fresno Yosemite International Airport.
For more information about ForeFront Power, please visit https://www.forefrontpower.com.