- The California Energy Commission (CEC) approved the Darden Clean Energy Project.
- The Darden project will connect to the PG&E grid and be located on 9,500 acres of land in western Fresno County, which the CEC said is no longer able to support agricultural production.
The California Energy Commission (CEC) approved the Darden Clean Energy Project, the first to be fast-tracked under its Opt-In Certification program.
The CES said that this battery storage project is destined to be the largest in the world. An up to 4,600 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) will be paired with a solar installation of 300 million solar modules, providing 1.1 GW of solar power. This will generate enough electricity to power 850,000 homes for four hours.
The Darden project, which is owned by IP Darden I, LLC, a subsidiary of Intersect Power, will connect to the PG&E grid and be located on 9,500 acres of land in western Fresno County that the CEC said is no longer able to support agricultural production.
The CEC’s Opt-In Certification Program, authorised by Assembly Bill 205, passed in 2022, requires the CEC to review applications within 30 days of submission and determine their completeness. The CEC then has 270 days to complete the environmental review. This program was developed to achieve California’s mandate that all retail electric sales come from renewable energy and zero-carbon resources by 2045.
“The transition to 100 per cent clean electricity by 2045 requires bold, utility-scale projects like Darden,” said CEC chair David Hochschild. “This project is significant not only for its size but also for its cutting-edge design and safety measures.”
Projects seeking approval through the Opt-In Certification program must pay prevailing wages and provide community and economic benefits. The Darden project is expected to employ more than 2,000 people during the construction period, which will last from 1.5 to 3 years.
In addition, owners of the project have committed to $2 million in community investments over the next decade starting with a $320,000 commitment to Centro La Familia Advocacy Services, a non-profit supporting crime victims, family wellness, and civic engagement in rural communities.
“Today’s clean energy projects must do more than just deliver megawatts. They should create value in the communities where they’re built,” said CEC Commissioner Noemí Gallardo. “This project exemplifies a community-focused approach that advances the state’s energy goals while creating benefits for local workers and residents.”
According to the CEC, California leads the nation in battery storage, with more than 200 utility-scale battery energy storage systems and more than 250,000 commercial and residential systems statewide.
Battery storage helps stabilise the grid by storing excess energy produced during peak production periods and discharging it when demand is high or generation drops, such as in the evening or in the event of a power outage.