CleanPowerSF, the community choice renewable energy program operated by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), has significantly expanded its commitment to new solar and wind projects in California, the SFPUC said on Dec. 20.
The San Francisco PUC has entered into three new long-term power agreements with Maverick Solar 6, Blythe Solar IV, and Terra-Gen that will expand wind and solar power procurement starting in 2020.
Maverick Solar 6, a 100-megawatt solar photovoltaic power plant to be built near Desert Center east of Palm Springs, will begin delivering power under a 20-year agreement in December 2021. It will be developed by EDF Renewables.
Blythe Solar IV, a 62-MW solar photovoltaic power plant to be built in Blythe, California, will also begin delivering power under a 20-year agreement with CleanPowerSF next fall. The project will be developed by NextEra Energy Resources.
In addition to these new solar commitments, CleanPowerSF will increase the amount of wind power it will purchase from Terra-Gen LLC’s new Voyager Wind IV facility from 47 to 110 MW.
Located in Kern County, California, the project will begin generating wind power for CleanPowerSF in winter 2020. Wind power delivered under this agreement will account for about 10 percent of CleanPowerSF’s supply mix.
The agreements will help San Francisco reach its goal of achieving 100 percent renewable energy by 2030.
CleanPowerSF, which launched in 2016, is a community choice aggregator. Following the largest and last enrollment period in April of 2019, CleanPowerSF now serves about 379,000 customer accounts in San Francisco. With a 96 percent participation rate, the program is popular among businesses and residents.
Along with solar and wind, CleanPowerSF’s portfolio includes geothermal energy.
SFPUC’s clean energy programs recognized for action on climate change
Meanwhile, the SFPUC has been certified as “Climate Registered Gold” status by The Climate Registry, an international non-profit organization that designs and operates voluntary and compliance greenhouse gas emissions reporting.
The award given to the SFPUC recognizes the agency’s commitment to generating and sourcing renewable energy and for publicly reporting greenhouse gas emissions data to the Carbon Footprint Registry, North America’s largest voluntary registry for greenhouse gas emissions.
This data will enable the SFPUC to track its climate initiatives and greenhouse gas emission reductions credibly over time in order to meet San Francisco’s goal of achieving 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, the SFPUC said.
