Ameresco, Inc., a leading clean technology integrator specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, announced its acquisition of an energy resilience project that combines a microgrid, solar panels and a battery energy storage system at Joint Forces Training Base (JFTB) in Los Alamitos, California. Ameresco acquired the clean energy asset from Bright Canyon Energy, who was the developer of the microgrid.
The work deployed at JFTB included the development and construction of a microgrid designed to provide the military base with 100% backup power in emergencies to support the Army and California National Guard, and generate clean, renewable solar energy for the surrounding community during normal operations.
The project will increase energy resilience for JFTB and Southern California by adding locally generated carbon-free renewable electricity to the grid. The microgrid is designed to provide 31.5 megawatts (MW) of solar-generated electricity capacity and includes a 20 MW/40 megawatt-hour battery energy storage system, microgrid controls and 3MW of backup generators, which is equivalent to powering a residential area of more than 5,000 homes.
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The asset comes with a lease of 100 acres of land from the U.S. Army, and the facility will be interconnected with Southern California Edison’s power distribution system. PowerSecure (a Southern Company subsidiary) and Total Energies are the engineering, procurement, and construction partners for this work, with solar panels supplied by First Solar and battery energy storage supplied by Tesla. The acquisition of the project was the first stage of a two-phase transaction between Ameresco and Pinnacle West Capital Corp. In the second phase, Ameresco will acquire Bright Canyon Energy Corporation, including its interest in Kupono Solar Development Company LLC and its interests in project subsidiaries developing or with rights to develop solar, battery and microgrid assets. The completion of the second phase is subject to a number of conditions and third-party consents and is targeted to close later in 2023.
“The Bright Canyon Energy team is excited to work with Ameresco on such a critical energy resilience project that provides JFTB Los Alamitos with the infrastructure to support continued large-scale emergency response operations,” said Jason Smith, Vice President at Bright Canyon. “Ameresco’s values and track record of providing its customers with customized energy efficient and renewable solutions aligns with Bright Canyon Energy’s standing commitment to bring innovative energy solutions to our customers.”
Ameresco’s ownership will allow JFTB to continue operating as Southern California’s emergency response hub during a natural or man-made disaster.
“We are grateful to our partners at JFTB Los Alamitos, the California National Guard, and Bright Canyon Energy and are honored to have this exciting work join our portfolio of comprehensive clean energy projects,” said Nicole Bulgarino, Ameresco’s Executive Vice President and General Manager, Federal Solutions. “Now more than ever, the combination of distributed generation and energy storage systems are playing a more critical role in enhancing clean backup power while bolstering security for our military partners. We appreciate the opportunity to work side by side with the California Military Department to help reach their mission.”
SOURCE: BusinessWire