Texas-based developer Leeward Renewable Energy (LRE) has started operations of its 88-MW Chaparral Springs battery energy storage system in Kern County, California.
The Chaparral Springs BESS will hold close to 352 MWh of duration capacity and provide grid reliability and dispatchable support into the California system. The project is part of a multi-phase plan to pair with a future 174-MW solar farm also developed by LRE.
The stored energy can be dispatched during peak demand and will serve community choice aggregators Peninsula Clean Energy and Valley Clean Energy under 15-year power purchase agreements.
“This project underscores our continued commitment to helping meet California’s growing demand for clean, reliable, and affordable energy. BESS technologies play a vital role in enabling the broader deployment of utility-scale renewables by delivering clean power when it’s needed most,” LRE COO Willem van der Ven said in a statement. “Our investments across the country reflect the growing need for a diverse, safe energy infrastructure that reinforces grid reliability and meets evolving energy demands.”
Originally focused on developing utility-scale wind projects in Texas, LRE has broaded its development portfolio to own and operate 30 wind, solar and energy storage projects across the U.S. This includes six operational renewable energy projects in California generating the equivalent power for 184,000 homes annually, the company says.
