Arizona public power utility Salt River Project and Clēnera on July 24 announced a power purchase agreement under which SRP will purchase a large amount of additional energy from a solar energy project in the state.
Specifically, SRP will purchase an additional 394 megawatts AC –- or 475 MW (DC) -- of energy at CO Bar Solar outside of Flagstaff, Arizona.
This is the second agreement executed between Clēnera and SRP at the CO Bar complex, and with both agreements, SRP has now procured nearly 800 MW (AC) – 1,000 MW (DC), or 1 gigawatt (GW) – of power from the project.
“This is not only the largest solar plant in Arizona and one of the largest in the United States, but it will also be the most significant solar resource in SRP’s energy portfolio,” said Jim Pratt, CEO of SRP. “SRP will be quadrupling the amount of utility-scale solar on our power system in just the next two years, with CO Bar Solar as a key part of this. Nearly half of all energy delivered to SRP customers will come from carbon-free resources by the end of 2025.”
CO Bar Solar is a 1.2 GW solar and storage complex being developed by Clēnera, a subsidiary of Enlight Renewable Energy.
The project, which is expected to be one of the largest in the United States, will occupy up to 2,400 acres on Babbitt Ranches private land in Coconino County. Construction on CO Bar Solar is set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2023 and is expected to reach commercial operation in phases throughout 2025.
By the end of 2025, SRP expects to have more than 3,000 MW of renewables online. In addition to its renewable resource commitments, SRP has among the largest battery storage investments in the Western U.S., with over 1,100 MW of battery storage projects that will be online by the end of 2024.
SRP expects more than 75% of its energy will come from carbon-free resources by the end of 2035.
