EDP Renewables North America (EDPRNA) has officially opened its Scarlet II solar energy park in California’s Central Valley, marking a significant addition to the state’s renewable energy landscape. In doing so, this project furthers California’s push for smart energy technology solutions while expanding the state’s solar power generation capabilities.
The Scarlet II facility has a remarkable solar farm production capacity of 200 megawatts (MW). In addition, it is paired with a co-located 150MW 600MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). This dual power capacity enhances energy resiliency. It backs up California’s Resource Adequacy Program, where local jurisdictions keep enough capacity to meet peak demand.
Strategically, the Central Valley was an ideal home for the Scarlet II project. It’s expected to produce enough renewable electricity to power nearly 68,000 homes annually. So far, the $3 million project has produced or retained over 140 jobs, creating a huge economic ripple effect. It has pumped more than $1.5 million into the state’s economy. It’s primed to bring millions in new tax revenues to local governments, pumping even more fuel into the regional economy.
Ava Community Energy and San José Clean Energy supply Scarlet II with long-term resource adequacy contracts, helping support the project’s battery energy storage system. This ownership partnership continues to EDPRNA’s mission to deliver dependable, clean energy solutions. Sandhya Ganapathy, CEO of EDP Renewables North America, expressed enthusiasm about the project, stating:
“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.”
Scarlet II builds on the first pilot phase, called Scarlet I. Scarlet I has a 200 MW solar capacity and includes a 40 MW/160 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). Scarlet I came online in 2024 and has already set a high watermark for regional renewable energy development.
EDPRNA manages more than 1.1 gigawatts (GW) of solar, wind, and storage projects throughout California. The company is deeply committed to rapidly expanding its renewable energy footprint. Ganapathy highlighted the importance of community partnerships in this effort:
“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.”
At the same time, California has some ambitious goals to expand their renewable energy generation. Projects like Scarlet II are essential for assuring national grid reliability, as well as powering local economic development and job creation. Successfully carrying out these initiatives is key to supporting California’s aggressive environmental targets. It further develops the resilience of the state’s energy infrastructure, entirely.