Salt River Project (SRP), an Arizona public power utility serving the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, and Invenergy, North America’s largest privately held independent power producer and energy infrastructure developer, today announced an agreement to add 200 megawatts (MW) of solar energy and 200 MW of 4-hour battery storage to the Valley’s grid.
This agreement marks the first partnership between SRP and Invenergy, SRP said on March 17.
Located in Pinal County, the SunDog Energy Center will provide enough capacity to power up to 45,000 Valley homes. SRP is working to more than double the capacity of its power system in the next 10 years to meet increasing energy demand in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Drawing from a variety of energy technologies, Invenergy’s projects are helping the state meet that growing demand, it noted.
“Adding solar and storage resources is part of SRP’s all-of-the-above strategy to meet our customer’s growing energy needs with reliable, affordable and sustainable power,” said Bobby Olsen, SRP Associate General Manager and Chief Power System Executive. “We look forward to working with Invenergy to bring the benefits of the SunDog Energy Center to our customers and the community.”
SRP has more than 3,000 MW of carbon-free resources currently serving its customers, including 1,455 MW of solar and more than 1,100 MW of battery storage supporting its grid. SRP also has significantly more solar energy and storage capacity under development.
“From the start, SRP has been clear about what it needs to serve its customers, and we’re able to bring the right energy mix as they plan for growth,” said Ted Romaine, Invenergy’s Executive Vice President for Origination. “As energy demand continues to grow in Arizona and across the country, hybrid projects like SunDog help strengthen the grid and give utility customers reliable, affordable energy solutions they can trust.”
SunDog will be Invenergy’s 17th facility in Arizona, and first operational site in Pinal County. The project is expected to bring significant economic benefits to Pinal County. These include more than $209 million in local tax revenue, land costs and lease payments. The project will also support anywhere between 200 and 400 jobs during peak construction.
Invenergy has been an active member of Pinal County since 2018, supporting organizations and initiatives including the United Way of Pinal County, Pinal Partnership and the Local Emergency Planning Committee.
Statewide, Invenergy’s portfolio of operational and under construction facilities totals 545 MW of solar power and 736 MW of energy storage to the Arizona grid, helping ensure Arizonans have reliable electricity when they need it most. Invenergy’s projects invest over $2.2 million into Arizona communities every year, SRP said.
