The Northern California Power Agency (NCPA), on behalf of eight of its member participants, has entered into a 20-year Energy Storage Service Agreement (ESSA) with Aypa Power for the Trolley Battery Energy Storage System (Trolley BESS) in San Bernardino County, Calif.
The 400-megawatt/1,600 megawatt-hour project will provide critical capacity to the state’s electric grid and help NCPA members support the state’s clean energy and climate goals, NCPA noted.
"Once operational, Trolley BESS will store excess power generated during the day and supply it back to the grid during periods of peak demand. This capability will give NCPA’s member utilities greater flexibility to manage costs, improve grid performance, and deliver affordable reliable service to their communities," NCPA said.
"By leveraging abundant solar power resources produced by NCPA’s member participants, this battery energy storage system will support the delivery of cost-effective, emission-free electricity to our members’ customers, even when the sun goes down," said NCPA General Manager Randy Howard. "As demand continues to grow, this joint investment will promote highly reliable service to our member communities while also advancing California’s clean energy goals.”
“Aypa Power is proud to partner with NCPA to deliver reliable, affordable clean energy to its member communities,” said Dan Santelli, Chief Commercial Officer at Aypa Power. “Trolley BESS demonstrates how large-scale storage can strengthen grid reliability, support renewable integration, and deliver real value to customers.”
The NCPA member systems participating in this project include the cities of Santa Clara, Alameda, Lompoc, Palo Alto, Redding, Shasta Lake, and Ukiah, as well as the Port of Oakland.
The Trolley BESS is expected to begin commercial operation in mid-2029.
Headquartered in Roseville, California, NCPA is a California joint powers agency established in 1968 to construct and operate electric generation facilities and assist in meeting the wholesale energy supply needs of its 16 members: the Cities of Alameda, Biggs, Gridley, Healdsburg, Lodi, Lompoc, Palo Alto, Redding, Roseville, Santa Clara, Shasta Lake, and Ukiah, Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative, the Port of Oakland, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), and Truckee Donner Public Utility District—collectively serving over 700,000 electric consumers in Central and Northern California.
Aypa Power, a Blackstone portfolio company, is an energy storage-focused independent power producer. Aypa develops, owns, and operates utility-scale energy storage and hybrid renewable energy projects across North America.
With 35 projects currently in operation or under construction, and a development pipeline exceeding 22 gigawatts, the company delivers solutions that enhance grid reliability and enable the broader integration of renewable energy resources.
