Central Coast Community Energy Announces Local Energy Storage Projects in Monterey and Santa Barbara Counties
November 11, 2021
Local Energy Storage Projects to Provide Jobs, Improve Grid Reliability, And Deploy Emerging Technologies That State and Nation Can Aspire To
Monterey, CA, November 11, 2021 – Central Coast Community Energy today announced four new energy storage projects located within its service area, a major milestone for the community focused energy provider responsible for sourcing clean and renewable electricity on behalf of Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz Counties. All projects came to fruition in response to CCCE’s Local Energy Storage Resiliency Project Request for Proposals issued in June of this year, with two additional storage projects still under consideration in San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties, one of which includes solar generation. CCCE received a total of 21 proposals from 16 developers.
All approved projects are estimated to be operational in 2026. The Bodega Energy Storage project is located in Gonzales and will provide 10 MW of storage and deliver 80 MW/hours (MWh), the Green Valley Energy Storage Project is located in Salinas and will provide 16 MW of storage to discharge 128 MWh, and the Rava Mesa project is located in Unincorporated Monterey County and will provide 6 MW of storage for a total discharge cycle of 18 MWh. All three of these projects will be developed by local firm, Concentric Power, Inc. In Santa Maria, the Industrial Parkway Storage Project, to be developed by Renewable Properties, LLC. will provide 10 MW of storage for a total discharge cycle of 40 MWh. Of the four projects announced, the Industrial Parkway Storage Project is the only one that will not deploy long-duration storage.
“These local energy storage projects will create jobs, support the effectiveness of standalone energy storage, contribute to statewide grid stability, and support California’s transition to clean and renewable energy,” shared CCCE CEO, Tom Habashi. “Long duration energy storage plays an integral role in all of this. Central Coast Community Energy is proud to be innovating with emerging technologies within our service area.”
The landmark announcement highlights the economic and logistical challenges often associated with local energy generation and distribution, challenges which CCCE has remained committed to overcoming despite prior solicitations resulting in project proposals that risked being counterproductive to delivering fair and stable electricity rates – a hallmark of CCCE service.
In contrast to the economic equation, CCCE’s pledge to grow clean and renewable energy resources adds a necessary variable to the equation – energy storage. With the intermittent nature of solar and wind power, for example, renewable energy that is generated when the sun is shining, and the wind is blowing must be captured and stored so it can be utilized when the sun and wind are absent.
Energy storage is cornerstone to realizing the full potential of renewable energy and to improving California’s grid reliability. Although CCCE has already contracted for more than 800 MW from new renewable energy projects and 200 MW from associated energy storage projects throughout California, the recent announcement marks the first series of distributed energy storage projects within CCCE’s service area.
“CCCE’s responsiveness and innovation continue to support and remind us of how important local control is in addressing economic development and clean energy resources,” shares CCCE Policy Board Chair and Salinas City Council member, Steve McShane. “This is a huge win for our region and the state. Long duration energy storage is the crux for large-scale renewable energy growth. These projects are big accomplishments in themselves but also key to CCCE achieving future goals such as 100% clean and renewable energy by 2030.”
Three of the four energy storage projects implicated will utilize vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) technology, another milestone in itself. VRB is lesser known but the advantages are clear, slower release for longer duration, longer operational lifespan, and safer due to nonflammable materials. Long duration storage is something that California’s energy regulators are calling for as the state prepares for more conventional power plants to be replaced by renewable sources. Once again, CCCE is leading by example and not just among California CCAs, these projects set a precedent for California’s investor-owned utilities and the nation’s energy industry.
About Central Coast Community Energy
Central Coast Community Energy (CCCE) is a public agency that sources competitively priced electricity from clean and renewable energy resources. CCCE is locally controlled and governed by board members who represent each community served by the agency. Revenue generated by CCCE stays local and helps keep electricity rates affordable for customers, while also funding innovative energy programs designed to lower greenhouse gas emissions and stimulate economic development. CCCE serves 436,000 customers throughout the Central Coast, including residential, commercial and agricultural customers in communities located within Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz counties. Learn more at 3CEnergy.org and on social media, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @3CEnergy.
Central Coast Community Energy | CCCE
Peter Berridge
Manager of Energy Communications
Tel: (831) 641-7204