ARIZONA NEWS

Arizona’s largest operational battery energy storage system now online, SRP says

Mar 14, 2024, 4:00 PM

Sonoran Solar Energy Center now online, SRP says...

Arizona's largest battery is now operating on SRP's power grid, according to a Thursday announcement. (Photos courtesy of SRP)

(Photos courtesy of SRP)

PHOENIX — The Sonoran Solar Energy Center, a new operational battery energy storage system, is now online, according to the Salt River Project (SRP).

It is Arizona’s largest operational battery storage system, SRP said in a Thursday announcement.

SRP teamed up with NextEra Energy Resources to commission the center. The 260-megawatt solar plant has a 1 gigawatt-hour battery energy solar system, a company announcement said.

Essentially, this system is adding clean energy to the grid. It will help authorities meet the electricity needs of Google’s upcoming data center campus in Mesa.

The Sonoran Solar Energy Center the energy center will mainly support Google’s campus, SRP said. However, extra energy the Mesa facility doesn’t need will support other SRP customers.

How Google’s Mesa data center will benefit from the Sonoran Solar Energy Center

The $600 million data center set to be built in Mesa will power digital services like Google Cloud, Gmail and Google Search.

The completed center will benefit users in the Valley as well as Google users worldwide. It will also bring around 1,200 jobs to the Valley.

In addition to serving the Mesa data center, the Sonoran Solar Energy Center will also add clean electricity to the grid, SRP said.

This meets Google’s sustainability goals, according to Amanda Peterson Corio, Global Head of Data Center Energy, Google.

“We’re aiming for every Google campus to operate on clean electricity every hour of every day by 2030,” Peterson Corio said in a statement. “The collaboration with Salt River Project and NextEra is accelerating decarbonization in Arizona and our own carbon-free journey in the region.”

Sonoran Solar Energy Center reflects commitment to sustainable energy resources

This project reflects SRP’s transition towards clean energy resources. Every watt of energy it delivers in upcoming years will have less carbon, the company announcement said.

As the demand for energy grows in the Phoenix metro area, SRP plans to double the number of power resources on its power system in the next decade.

Bobby Olsen is the chief planning, strategy and sustainability officer at SRP. He said Google’s sustainability goals help SRP decarbonize its power generation portfolio.

“SRP and the Valley are fortunate to have sustainability-focused organizations like Google located here who help accelerate the transition to carbon-free power resources,” Olsen said in a statement.

So how does this benefit everyday Arizonans?

Anthony Pedroni, an executive at NextEra Energy Resources, said the Sonoran Solar Energy Center will benefit local communities.

“We are pleased to work with SRP and Google to bring online Arizona’s newest renewable energy centers,” Pedroni said.

“These renewable energy centers will generate low-cost, homegrown energy and provide millions of dollars in additional revenue to both Maricopa and Pinal counties,” he added.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Westbound Interstate 10 was closed in Tempe early Thursday due to law enforcement situation....

Kevin Stone

Westbound I-10 closed in Tempe due to law enforcement activity

Westbound Interstate 10 was closed in Tempe early Thursday due to a law enforcement situation, authorities said.

9 minutes ago

(City of Phoenix media photo)...

Bailey Leasure

Phoenix reaches housing creation and preservation goal 5 years early

Phoenix announced it has reached its goal of creating or preserving over 53,000 houses throughout the city.

1 hour ago

The Mesa Library has begun installing solar panel canopies. In addition to generating energy, the s...

David Veenstra

Mesa Library installing solar panel canopies to generate energy, provide shaded parking

The Mesa Library has begun installing solar panel canopies. In addition to generating energy, the solar panel canopies will provide covered parking.

2 hours ago

Valley events calendar...

KTAR.com

Valley events calendar: Here’s a rundown of things to do around metro Phoenix

Our Valley events calendar keeps you up to date on the wide variety of activities across the Phoenix area.

2 hours ago

(Pixabay photo)...

Bailey Leasure

Investigation involving death of Phoenix woman upgraded to homicide

A case involving the death of a Phoenix woman in December has been upgraded to a homicide following an investigation, authorities said Wednesday.

9 hours ago

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has announced she is launching a new webpage that will monitor ...

Bailey Leasure

Arizona attorney general launches webpage to monitor federal funding issues

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has announced she is launching a new webpage that will monitor federal funding issues.

10 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Asset Preservation Wealth & Tax

How to optimize the most money in 2024 tax returns

As tax season begins, getting your financials in order is important to maximize your tax return.

...

Bright Wealth Management

How to start your retirement planning early and avoid costly mistakes

Retirement planning can feel overwhelming, but with the right guidance, you can avoid costly pitfalls.

...

Fiesta Bowl Foundation

Join us for the 52nd annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade

The 52nd annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe returns on Saturday, December 28, at 10 a.m.

Arizona’s largest operational battery energy storage system now online, SRP says