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Avantus sells California solar-plus-storage project with 500MW/2,000MWh BESS to AES

Energy-Storage.News · Andy Colthorpe · last updated

Avantus sells California solar-plus-storage project with 500MW/2,000MWh BESS to AES - Energy-Storage.News

US utility AES Corporation has added the 2GW Bellefield solar-plus-storage project to its portfolio after acquiring it from the project developer, Avantus.

Located in Kern County, California, the Bellefield project is split into two phases, each with up to 500MW of solar and 500MW of 4-hour duration battery storage (2,000MWh). The two phases are expected to come online in 2025 and 2026 respectively.

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Phase one has a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) in place with one of AES’ corporate customers, the company said. Some of the backing for the purchase was provided by Alberta Investment Management Corporation, an investor in AES with a 25% stake in its growth projects. It invests on behalf of various funds from the province of Alberta, with over US$150 billion of assets under management.

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Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: solar

State of Play

Declining costs and government encouragement have resulted in a rapid increase in solar energy production in the United States over the past 10 years, although solar’s share remains small: 1.6 percent of all electricity generation in 2018. That rapid growth is projected to continue.

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