Utility-scale independent power generator AES Corp. has completed construction on the first phase of one of the biggest U.S. solar and storage combination projects.
The 1-GW Bellefield 1 project is supported by a 15-year power purchase contract with Amazon. Both Bellefield sites, located in Kern County, California, include 500 MW of solar power and 500 MW of four-hour battery-based energy storage sites.
Once completed, the 2 GW of Bellefield capacity will generate the equivalent of electricity usage by 467,000 homes. The carbon-free power could displace more than 1 million metric tons of CO2 per year.
AES has utilized Maximo, an artifical intelligence-enabled robotic system developed by AES to assist construction crews, improving the safety, speed, and accuracy of solar module installation. Construction phases are employing more than 700 workers.
"Completing the first 1,000 MW of Bellefield demonstrates how rapidly solar and storage can be deployed to meet the growing energy demand of data centers," said Andres Gluski, AES President and CEO, in a statement. "Our best-in-class track record of delivering renewables projects on time and on budget is deeply valued by our customers and is one of our key competitive advantages."
Worldwide, AES has contractual arrangements with global hyperscalers for 10.1 GW, including the 2 GW Bellefield project. The company expects to recognize the earnings associated with placing Bellefield 1 in service in the second half of 2025, as planned.
Construction on Bellefield 2 is under progress to be completed in 2026.
Last month, AES signed Facebook parent company Meta to a pair of long-term power purchase agreements (PPA) to match 650 MW of energy capacity for the tech company’s data centers recently completed or currently under development.
The PPAs are supporting other solar projects which AES is interconnecting into the Southwest Power Pool market in Texas and Kansas.
