Projects Weekly kicks off with an construction initiative from Georgia Power to build 765 MW of new energy storage facilities. Also included are two other storage projects from Leeward Renewable Energy and EDP Renewables. Plus, the latest solar project news from Nexamp, Parliament Energy and more. Keep reading to learn more about these projects.

Georgia Power has commenced construction on 765 MW of new battery energy storage systems (BESS) strategically located across Georgia in Bibb, Lowndes, Floyd and Cherokee counties. The BESS projects were authorized by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) through the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) process and provide quickly dispatchable capacity for customers. The new projects follow the company’s first-ever BESS facility at Mossy Branch near Columbus, which entered service last year.

Construction is currently underway at the following BESS locations:

• Robins BESS (Bibb County, 128 MW). This strategic site is co-located with the existing solar facility adjacent to the Robins Air Force Base and allows Georgia Power to leverage existing infrastructure, thereby eliminating the need to construct new transmission generator step-up (GSU) project-level substations and eliminating potential expenses and long lead time projects associated with transmission interconnection and network upgrades. This project is being engineered and constructed by Burns & McDonnell and has a projected commercial operation date in June 2026.
• Moody BESS (Lowndes County, 49.5 MW). Similar to the Robins BESS project, this strategic choice is co-located with the existing solar facility adjacent to the Moody Air Force Base and allows Georgia Power to leverage existing infrastructure, thereby eliminating the need for constructing new transmission GSU project-level substations and eliminating potential expenses and long lead time projects associated with interconnection and network upgrades. It also offers expedited deployment capabilities and ensures known transmission deliverability. This project is being engineered and constructed by Crowder Industrial Construction and has a projected commercial operation date in May 2026.
• Hammond BESS (Floyd County, 57.5 MW). The Hammond BESS project is a standalone BESS that leverages existing infrastructure from the retired coal-fired Plant Hammond facility. With the repurposing of an existing generation site and the utilization of already identified transmission capacity, the Hammond BESS project provides significant benefit to customers while aiding the company in meeting its capacity needs. This project is being engineered and constructed by Crowder Industrial Construction and has a projected commercial operation date in November 2026.
• McGrau Ford Phase I & II BESS (Cherokee County, 530 MW). Given the existing site work, land acquisition, and contracting for McGrau Ford Phase I BESS, Georgia Power will realize efficiencies in contracting and construction by using the same construction company and company-owned land. In addition, the preliminary design for McGrau Ford Phase I BESS provides an opportunity for Georgia Power to cost effectively expand the project level substation and generation tie line rather than construct a new project level substation. These projects are being engineered and constructed by Burns & McDonnell, and Phases I & II have projected commercial operation dates in October 2026 and September 2026, respectively.

Cool factor: Georgia Power continues to work with the Georgia PSC to procure and develop BESS projects across Georgia. An additional 1,000 MW of new battery energy storage is expected to be procured in the coming years through competitive bidding processes and a 13 MW demonstration project is in development at Fort Stewart Army Installation near Savannah, Georgia. All-source capacity Request for Proposals (RFPs) proposed in the 2025 and 2022 IRPs are also expected to include BESS assets.

Georgia Power is also committed to supporting customer-sited generation resources to meet the state’s growing energy needs. The 2025 IRP includes two customer expansions of BESS programs including enhancements to the Customer Connected Solar Program and launching a new Customer-Sited Solar Plus Storage Pilot. This pilot aims to secure an initial 50 MW of capacity, providing opportunities for residential and small commercial customers to add solar and storage resources. The goal is to encourage more customer-sited renewable generation by pairing dispatchable BESS with behind-the-meter solar systems.

LRE begins operations at Chaparral Springs BESS

Leeward Renewable Energy LLC (LRE) announced that its 88 MW / 352 MWh Chaparral Springs Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is now fully operational in Kern County, California. Designed to strengthen grid reliability and deliver flexible, dispatchable power, the BESS is part of a broader, multi-phase initiative that also includes a 174 MW photovoltaic (PV) solar facility — both developed, owned, and operated by LRE. With additional projects slated to come online in the coming months, LRE is expanding its California portfolio to help meet the state’s growing demand for reliable, clean energy. Together, these projects mark a significant milestone in LRE’s expanding California footprint, with six operational clean energy facilities now totaling 470 MW of capacity.

Cool factor: Chaparral Springs BESS is a four-hour energy storage system designed to store solar energy during low-demand periods or when solar production exceeds grid capacity. This stored energy can be dispatched during peak demand or when solar is unavailable, enhancing overall grid stability and flexibility. The energy generated will serve Peninsula Clean Energy and Valley Clean Energy under two 15-year power purchase agreements (PPAs).

“This project underscores our continued commitment to helping meet California’s growing demand for clean, reliable, and affordable energy,” said Willem van der Ven, chief operating officer at LRE. “BESS technologies play a vital role in enabling the broader deployment of utility-scale renewables by delivering clean power when it’s needed most.”

EDP Renewables unveils 200 MW solar + 150 MW energy storage project in California

EDP Renewables North America LLC (EDPR NA) celebrates the inauguration of its 200 MW Scarlet II Solar Energy Park, in Fresno County, California. Scarlet II follows EDPR NA’s Scarlet I Solar Energy Park, consisting of 200 MW of solar and 40 MW / 160 MWh of battery energy storage system (BESS), which achieved commercial operation in 2024. This second phase of the Scarlet Solar Energy Park includes a co-located 150 MW / 600 MWh BESS, increasing the project’s resilience.

The full output of the 200 MW of solar energy is contracted through a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA), with resource adequacy associated with the 150 MW BESS contracted under long-term Resource Adequacy (RA) agreements with Ava Community Energy and San José Clean Energy.  California’s Resource Adequacy Program ensures that load-serving entities (LSEs) have sufficient capacity to meet their customers’ demand and maintain grid reliability.

Cool factor: Scarlet II will generate enough energy to power the equivalent of 68,000 California homes each year. Local institutions such as schools, emergency services, road maintenance, and infrastructure will benefit from the project’s economic boost. Scarlet II will provide millions to be paid to local governments through tax payments, and millions spent locally at gas stations, retailers, restaurants, and hotels throughout its lifetime. The park supported the creation of more than 140 construction jobs and accounted for more than $1,537,000 of spending in-state.

“After our successful launch of Scarlet I, we are thrilled to add Scarlet II to our portfolio and build on our record of delivering energy reliability and resiliency for Fresno County and the Golden State,” stated Sandhya Ganapathy, CEO of EDP Renewables North America. “We are proud that our meaningful partnerships and investments in the community helped generate strong local support for the expansion of Scarlet Solar Energy Park.” 

Scarlet II continued the environmental stewardship commitment EDPR NA has made under its Close the Loop Program, recycling 1757.49 tons of material over the course of construction, through EPC Rosendin and various materials recyclers, leading to 61.98% of total reported construction material recycled. 

Commercial solar advisory firm SolarKal has partnered with real estate firm EPR Properties to develop a major community solar project atop EPR’s 230,000-sq-ft New Roc City building in New Rochelle, New York. EPR Properties is introducing a source of renewable solar power that will be directly reinvested into the community.

Home to a variety of entertainment venues, the New Roc City complex serves as a key gathering place for the local area. Through its full-service solar advisory model, SolarKal conducted a feasibility analysis across EPR’s portfolio, identifying the New Roc City location as an ideal candidate for community solar. The team then facilitated a competitive RFP through SolarKal’s proprietary vendor marketplace, helping select G&S Solar, a developer with deep expertise in the New York market.

Cool factor: The 1.4 MW solar installation is designed to generate more than 1.8 million kWh of clean energy annually. As the anchor subscriber, EPR Properties will power the building’s common areas with renewable energy, while also providing nearby residents and businesses with access to discounted community solar subscriptions.

Final construction is underway, with SolarKal providing ongoing project management to ensure a seamless execution. Approximately 150 community solar subscribers will benefit from utility bill savings through the project.

Nexamp expands community solar through agreements with Chipotle and Microsoft

Nexamp is collaborating with fast casual restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill and Microsoft to develop community solar projects in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, Midwestern, and Western states.

Chipotle will purchase renewable energy bill credits from Nexamp to support the construction and operation of 15 new community solar farms generating 75 MW in Illinois, New York, Maryland and Maine. Under the agreement, Chipotle will receive credits associated with 20 MW from the portfolio of projects, while the remaining 55 MW will provide hundreds of thousands in savings to approximately 9,000 families, non-profits and other businesses across those markets. Construction of the projects in this portfolio is underway and all sites are expected to come online by 2026. Nexamp will build, own, and operate all the projects.

As part of a long-term agreement with Microsoft, Nexamp will develop a portfolio of roughly 100 new projects across the United States, adding approximately 300 MWac of distributed clean energy capacity to local grids. Under the agreement, Nexamp will develop, construct, and operate projects across five independent system operator regions, including New England, New York, Mid-Atlantic, Midwestern, and Western states. Microsoft will purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) from the solar portfolio to help meet its commitment to become carbon negative by 2030.

Cool factor: Over the course of this agreement, Chipotle will save up to approximately $250,000 per year. By committing as a long-term subscriber for the credits generated by these projects, Chipotle’s investment makes the design, construction and completion possible, ensuring that progress continues in the modernization and decarbonization of the grid while helping thousands of households reduce their annual electricity expenses.

The projects with Microsoft are scheduled over the next four years and will be constructed in communities that have not yet experienced the economic and environmental benefits of solar energy.

Ideematec, Parliament Energy broaden partnership after 640 MWdc solar project

Ideematec is continuing its strategic partnership with Parliament Energy Holdings (PEH) following the successful deployment of the 640 MWdc Parliament Solar project in Waller County, Texas. Situated on 3,372 acres of property owned by Rice University and a private citizen, the project had no damage from Hurricane Beryl and no module damage from 10 on-site hail events during the construction phase and is now moving into the operations phase.

Cool factor: Building on the success of its partnership, Ideematec will supply its Horizon L:TEC 1P trackers for PEH’s upcoming 2.1 GW project pipeline in Texas. The first project in this pipeline — a 650 MWdc installation located south of Dallas, Texas — is scheduled to begin construction in late 2025.

“Our strong track record in hurricane-prone regions, combined with our hail-stow design process, gives PEH the confidence that the L:TEC 1P design can withstand both high winds and hail events, even when they occur simultaneously,” said Philipp Klemm, CEO of Ideematec Inc., a Germany-based provider of high-performance solar tracking systems, with its North American headquarters in Arizona.

Broad Street, Centennial and AccelDev complete of rooftop solar project in Maryland

Broad Street Realty, in partnership with Centennial and Madison Energy Infrastructure, has completed a new 1 MWdc rooftop solar installation at Hollinswood Shopping Center in Baltimore County, Maryland. The project follows the 2.4 MWdc rooftop solar project that the companies recently completed at Cromwell Shopping Center near Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI).

Centennial developed the project, with construction performed by Halo, a solar engineering contractor. The project received financing from AccelDev and will be owned and operated by Madison Energy Infrastructure. Venable served as transactional counsel to Centennial.

Cool factor: The project is designed to reduce the cost of electricity for approximately 1,000 homes in the area, while increasing power production in the state. The project uses over 1,500 solar panels with a ballasted racking system across Hollinswood Shopping Center’s 100,000-sq-ft roof. The Hollinswood Shopping Center project reinforces Broad Street’s dedication to deploying innovative, sustainable solutions across its portfolio.

Tags: commercial and industrial, Community Solar, utility-scale