A worker cleans the panels in a solar energy park.
Photo:
Joe Raedle / Getty Images
Eric Garcetti, the mayor of Los Angeles, announced today that the city will buy power from the largest solar and battery energy storage system in the United States, a project under construction that will supply electricity for more than a quarter of a million homes in the city.
The system, known as Eland Solar and Storage Center, It will be located in Kern County, north of the city, and will be the first integrated solar and battery project that will provide daily power to some 283,330 customers in Los Angeles.
“We are entering a decisive decade for the preservation of our planet. Los Angeles is leading the transition to a low-carbon future, which will fight the climate crisis, and keep the lights on without relying on dirty fossil fuels, ” Garcetti said at a press conference.
The project will include two large-scale solar installations that will capture 400 megawatts (400,000 kilowatts) of solar energy and store up to 1,200 megawatts per hour (1 million 200,000 kilowatts per hour).
“The system will provide renewable energy to almost one million residents, even when the sun is not shining, and will play a fundamental role in driving our progress towards a sustainable future,” Garcetti added.
The project will begin to supply energy on December 31, 2023, according to Garcetti estimates.
The measure is part of the Los Angeles government's plans to only use renewable energy as of 2045.
The project is expected to create 700 jobs during the construction period and employ 40 people in the area of operations and maintenance personnel, when on duty.
Currently, 32% of Los Angeles' energy comes from renewable sources.
The Eland Solar and Storage Center system in its first phase will increase this number by 7%, to reach about 40% use of renewable energy sources in the city.
The new energy supply will cause Los Angeles to stop emitting greenhouse gases equivalent to those produced by some 150,000 vehicles on the roads in a year.
"The Eland project is the kind of innovative combination of technologies that will demonstrate that a renewable future is also more profitable than most conventional power plants," Councilman Paul Krekorian said at the press conference.
