This week on Projects Weekly, California’s Foothill Medical Center Association has energized its rooftop solar project, complete with a full roof renovation. Also in the Golden State, Avantus and the Clean Power Alliance have signed a PPA for the Rexford 2 project throughout southern California. In Illinois, Aligned Climate Capital has acquired a new community solar project in Collinsville Township, and Sol Systems has closed financing on a full suite of community solar projects throughout the state. The North Star State’s solar scene is in the news as well, with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approving both Spearmint Energy’s Midwater Energy Storage Project and Geronimo Power’s Lake Charlotte Solar and Storage site. Across the country, ClearGen has acquired a portfolio of distributed solar assets, and PureSky Energy has completed a massive refinancing of its community solar portfolio. Keep reading for all the details!

Avantus and Clean Power Alliance sign PPA for Rexford 2 project

Solar developer Avantus and the Clean Power Alliance have inked an agreement to deliver renewable energy to communities throughout southern California, the companies say.

The power purchase agreement (PPA) revolves around the Rexford 2 combined solar and storage project in California’s Tulare County. Sporting 200 MWac of solar generation and 200 MW / 800 MWh of battery storage, the project generates enough power for 84,000 Californian homes, Avantus says.

“California’s energy demand is growing, and we’re proud to develop and operate projects that deliver clean, reliable power,” says Valerie Barros, EVP of origination and energy markets for Avantus. “Together with Clean Power Alliance, we will strengthen the grid, bring high-quality jobs and local revenue to Tulare County, and provide affordable renewable energy that helps California meet its clean energy goals.”

Bright spot: In addition to its power generation capabilities, Rexford 2 is expected to create more than 500 union jobs during peak construction season. Additionally, the site will offer permanent local operations roles, and create “hundreds of millions of dollars” in tax revenue for the county.

Lindsay Descagnia, VP of power supply for the Clean Power Alliance, called the project “a sound investment in California’s clean energy future.”

“This project provides a fixed long-term price,” she says, “helping protect our customers from energy market volatility while delivering renewable energy and battery storage that can help meet demand when it matters most.”

Private equity firm Aligned Climate Capital has acquired the Armoracia project, a 7.3 MWdc community solar project in western Illinois’s Collinsville Township.

Purchased from renewable energy developer Planted Solar, the project is part of the private equity company’s Aligned Solar Partners strategy. The project will serve subscribers through the Illinois Adjustable Block Program, and is expected to reach commercial operation sometime later this year.

“This acquisition matters because it helps establish Planted’s platform as financeable infrastructure at commercial scale. Their platform is built for land-efficient deployment, making solar work on sites where conventional approaches would require significantly more land,” says Peter Davidson, CEO of Aligned Climate Capital. “Until now, developers have had a limited ability to commit a real pipeline to Planted projects without an institutional buyer prepared to finance construction and own the assets.

“Aligned’s acquisition of Armoracia helps solve that problem and creates a financing precedent for the technology at commercial scale.”

Bright spot: The ground-mounted project is currently under construction and sits on about 16 acres of land near the Illinois-Missouri border. The firms say the project combines community solar generation with “continued productive land use,” utilizing Planted’s high-density solar arrays that follow the terrain and leave room for farming, pollinator habitats, and any other compatible uses.

“Community solar runs on tight land budgets and execution certainty,” says Eric Brown, CEO of Planted. “Armoracia puts 7.3 MW on 16 acres and leaves the land usable long after the array’s life. That’s the kind of outcome Aligned’s holistic approach makes available to the broader community solar market.”

ClearGen acquires portfolio of distributed solar assets

ClearGen Holdings LLC has announced its purchase of a 19 MW portfolio of operational commercial and industrial solar assets from Tortoise Capital Advisors.

Bright spot: The deal includes 10 operating behind-the-meter solar projects across five states, stretching from California to Massachusetts. ClearGen’s deal allows the company to acquire 100% of the equity interests, and assume asset management responsibilities for the suite of projects going forward.

The transaction also advances the firm’s overall strategy of investment in distributed energy infrastructure, representatives say. The company adds that it aims to bolster its role as a long-term owner and active asset manager for the solar space.

“This acquisition is directly aligned with our strategy of acquiring and actively managing distributed energy assets that deliver long-term value,” says ClearGen CEO Rob Howard. “ClearGen is committed to owning assets like these for the long run.”

Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approves Lake Charlotte Solar and Storage Project

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has approved site permits for the state’s Lake Charlotte Solar Project and its associated battery system.

Located in Martin County’s Rutland Township, the project has a 150 MW solar generation facility and a 150 MW / 600 MWh battery system. The final approval follows a “comprehensive” process of review, including public hearings and a sitewide environmental assessment.

“Projects like Lake Charlotte Solar and Storage support Minnesota’s commitment to achieving 100 percent carbon free electricity by 2040 and play a vital role in meeting growing clean energy demand while strengthening grid reliability,” say officials from the PUC. “The battery system will allow renewable energy to be stored and dispatched when most needed, improving grid stability during extreme weather.

Bright spot: As part of the approval, the PUC has adopted requirements for the site including wildlife-friendly fencing, dust and lighting control, noise notifications, and vegetation management plans. The PUC says these are in service of environmental stewardship throughout the project.

Construction on the project is anticipated to begin in Q3 2027, and see completion in late 2028.

Solar and energy storage developer PureSky Energy has completed a “landmark” $183.7 million refinancing of its operating portfolio in the community solar sector.

Consolidating eight existing debt portfolios into a single structure, the portfolio consists of 211 MWdc of solar and 58 MWh of energy storage across 43 assets in Massachusetts, New York, and Minnesota. Combining multiple portfolios into a singular financing vehicle has allowed PureSky to achieve “a level of scale and credit quality that remains uncommon in the community solar industry,” the firm says.

“Achieving an investment-grade rating on a portfolio of this scale marks a significant milestone for PureSky and the broader community solar industry,” says PureSky CFO Rami Khadra. “This transaction reflects the strength of our assets and operating platform, and enables us to eliminate near-term refinancing risk while continuing to invest in long-term growth.”

Bright spot: PureSky has also internalized all community solar customer management functions, the firm says, allowing for enhanced operational control across the portfolio. In turn, the company adds that this will improve customer experience and strengthen its position in the market in the long-term.

Ty Bowman, managing director at participating investment firm PGIM, says the refinancing “reflects the continued evolution of distributed generation portfolios into a scalable infrastructure asset class.”

“PureSky’s diversified portfolio and long-term contracted cash flows support a durable credit profile,” he adds, “while its integrated customer management platform enhances operational performance—key factors in underwriting long-term capital in the community solar market.”

Foothill Medical Center Association sees full roof and solar upgrade

California’s Foothill Medical Center Association has energized a 300 kW rooftop and carport solar asset at its commercial headquarters in Foothill Ranch, the company says.

The full solar and roof modernization was delivered through a fully-financed power purchase agreement, the company says, financed by Sunrock Distributed Generation. From there, Watthub Renewables developed the project and SunRenu Solar built the components needed for construction.

Under the agreement, the medical association received not only a fully operational solar system, but a “comprehensive roof reconditioning,” officials say.

“As a non-profit commercial HOA, every dollar of operating budget matters to our members/owners,” says Ashley Cardo, a real estate manager with Pacific Coast Commercial Real Estate and an agent for the Foothill Medical Center Association. “This project lowers our electricity costs immediately, protects us from utility rate escalation, and gives us a new roof with warranty – and we did not have to levy an assessment or draw on reserves to do any of it.”

Bright spot: Chris Leonard, chief revenue officer of WattHub, says the medical center is “exactly the kind of property that has historically been left out of the commercial solar market.” But the company was able to remove the biggest hurdle to solar installation on properties like these through the PPA, he says, clearing the way for a potential cornerstone C&I project in California.

“By structuring the PPA to cover the roof reconditioning alongside the array, we eliminated the single biggest obstacle to adoption for properties like this one,” he says. “Our job at WattHub is to make clean energy work for real buildings with real constraints. The Foothill project is a template we are already applying to other commercial HOAs across Southern California: one agreement, one contractor, one lower monthly bill – and a new roof included.”

Sol Systems closes on Peoria Solar Portfolio in Illinois 

Renewable energy developer and independent power producer (IPP) Sol Systems has announced the financial close of its 123 MWac Peoria Solar Portfolio, located in Illinois.

The portfolio will now advance construction further, the company says, moving into Knox, Tazewell, and Peoria Counties. The portfolio is expected to generate about 280 GWh of electricity during its first year of operation, the firm says, enough to power more than 25,000 American households annually.

“Financial close on the Peoria Solar Portfolio demonstrates the strength of Sol’s integrated development and financing platform,” says Sol Systems CFO Richard Romero. “This milestone reflects our ability to move high-quality projects from development into construction with the capital structure, execution discipline, and partner support needed to build a durable owned-and-operated portfolio.”

Bright spot: Before closing, Sol Systems selected SOLV Energy as its EPC provider for this portfolio, having already worked on the Eldorado Solar Project with them in southern Illinois. After the completion of the portfolio in 2027, the two firms will have partnered on more than 550 MWac of solar projects across the U.S.

“Our teams share a commitment to delivering high-quality clean energy infrastructure safely and reliably, while creating lasting value for the communities where these projects are built,” says SOLV Energy CEO George Hershman. “We look forward to bringing our utility-scale EPC experience to another important Sol Systems portfolio in Illinois.”

Spearmint Energy secures site permit for 600 MWh battery project in Minnesota

Spearmint Energy has announced its site permit from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission for its Midwater Energy Storage Project in Freeborn County, Minnesota.

The approval is a “significant milestone” for the 150 MW / 600 MWh battery storage project, one of the largest in the North Star State.

The project marks Spearmint’s second permit in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) region and will be sited on 10 to 20 acres of privately owned land, adjacent to the state’s Glenworth Substation off Minnesota Highway 65.

Bright spot: Midwater will be Spearmint’s second project to advance through the permitting process in Minnesota as well. Its previous project, Olmsted County’s Snowshoe Energy Storage Project, was the state’s first standalone battery project to see approval.

“Battery energy storage systems play a critical role in strengthening grid reliability, storing energy when supply exceeds demand and delivering it back to the grid when needed most,” says Peter Rood, chief development officer of Spearmint Energy. “As electricity demand continues to grow, projects like Midwater provide flexible infrastructure that supports grid stability, enhances affordability, and enables the integration of diverse generation resources.”

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