LEBEC, Calif. (KERO) — Leaders in the renewable energy industry gathered to view the largest renewable energy project in California to date for the Department of Water Resources.
The project represents a major step toward the department's goal of carbon neutrality by 2035. It is expected to provide new clean energy to help the state provide water for millions of Californians.
The campus features three sites: the Pastoria Solar Project, Power Bank, and Energy Facility. It is located near the State Water Project's Edmunston Pumping Plant.
John Yarbrough is the Deputy Director at the California Department of Water Resources.
"This project is an important part of how we are transitioning our energy use with the state water project to a carbon free one. By bringing this 105 megawatts of carbon free solar energy, we are able to clean up our portfolio on the energy we use for moving water throughout the state," Yarbrough said.
Andrew Novotny is the President and CEO of Calpine.
"We’re completing this all this year. We’re bringing on both solar and energy storage facility. Of course this is an integrated complex with a very large and clean highly efficient natural gas fire combined cycle," Novotny said.
"We started with a very efficient clean natural gas-fired combined cycle but we’ve added solar energy. Alongside an energy storage so we can save the value of the sun for hours that matter most for California," Novotny said.
Organizers say if these projects can be implemented across the state, it will start to reduce the carbon footprint.
Mitch Weinberg is the Vice President of Project Development for Calpine West.
"As we make progress towards our goal of carbon neutrality reducing and reducing the state's carbon footprint. There is no one project, there isn’t one approach that gets it done. But if we can repeat this effort over and over again we will get there," Weinberg said.
The project is expected to be fully completed by the end of 2026.
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