Renewable energy developer EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA) said two solar farms with a combined 300 MW of generation capacity are now operating in Kern County, California.

The two-phase solar energy park includes the 200-MW Sandrini I, which has a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Shell Energy North America. The project also includes the 100-MW Sandrini II solar farm, which has a 15-year PPA with Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA).

EDP on Jan. 7 said both phases of the project were commissioned in late 2024. The company said power from Sandrini II will provide more than one-third of the total annual electric need for customers of RCEA’s community choice energy program. RCEA supplies more than 90% of the electricity for Humboldt County on California’s rural north coast. Completion of Sandrini II marks a large step toward RCEA meeting its goal of supplying 100% renewable energy to its customers by 2030.

Sandrini I has already disbursed more than $510,000 in tax payments to local governments since 2023. EDP on Tuesday said about that in addition, about $15 million will be paid to local landowners, who lease a portion of their land to house the solar energy park’s infrastructure. Sandrini I and II employed more than 200 workers during construction and will create several permanent operations positions, according to EDP.

RCEA is one of 25 community choice aggregators (CCAs) now serving communities in California. Sandrini II adds to 8,000 MW of new clean energy resources brought online to date by California’s CCAs. An additional 10,000 MW of new clean resources are in contract with these CCAs and are currently under development or construction. The CCAs’ clean energy projects collectively support more than 36,000 construction jobs across California and the U.S. West.

“RCEA is committed to achieving our goal of supplying Humboldt County with 100% renewable energy. Sandrini II is a welcomed addition to our energy portfolio. We are proud to see another high-impact solar project go to work on behalf of our community,” said RCEA Board Chair Sarah Schaefer.

Both phases of the solar energy park also yield environmental benefits, including saving more than 381 million gallons of water each year compared to the amount of water that conventional generation sources would need to produce the same amount of capacity. These water savings, in turn, will help aid Kern County’s water conservation goals.

“Sandrini I & II represent EDP Renewables’ continued commitment to investing in California and are a direct contribution to California’s admirable target of achieving 100% clean electricity by 2045,” said Sandhya Ganapathy, CEO of EDP Renewables North America. “The Golden State is known for its leadership in solar energy, and EDP Renewables is elated to meet the growing demand for reliable, clean energy sources.”

EDPR NA is a clean energy leader in California, currently operating six renewable energy projects in the state, totaling 488 MW of capacity. Its projects include three phases of the Rising Tree Wind Farm, two phases of the Lone Valley Solar Park, and the Windhub A Solar Park. EDPR NA’s California portfolio also boasts several other solar parks and battery storage facilities, including the recently completed 200-MW solar and 40-MW storage Scarlet Solar Energy Park.

—POWER edited this content, which was contributed by EDP Renewables North America.