company news about California Greenlights World's Largest Solar‑Battery Storage Project

Fresno County, California — July 2025 — The California Energy Commission (CEC) has officially approved the Darden Clean Energy Project in western Fresno County—a hybrid solar‑plus‑storage facility expected to set a global record.

Scale & Scope

• Battery Capacity: Up to 4.6 GWh of energy storage (1,150 MW)

• Solar Generation: 1.15 GW via approximately 3.1 million solar panels

• Coverage: Powering ~850,000 homes for four hours during peak demand
• Site: Spanning 9,500 acres of previously non-arable farmland, connected to PG&E’s 500 kV transmission infrastructure

Approval Highlights

• This project is the first approved under California’s new fast‑track Opt‑In Certification program, designed to expedite the permitting of large clean-energy facilities within 270 days of submission

• CEC Chair David Hochschild praised the initiative as a bold step toward meeting the state’s 100% clean electricity mandate by 2045

Economic & Community Impact

• Project developers expect to create over 1,200 construction-phase jobs and generate significant local tax revenue.

• The initiative is part of Intersect Power’s broader vision to build clean infrastructure and support regional economic growth

Why It Matters

1. Global Benchmark: Upon completion, this will be the largest co-located solar and battery energy system in the world.

2. Grid Flexibility: By combining solar generation with vast battery storage, the facility helps smooth fluctuations in renewable power supply.

3. Policy Momentum: The fast-tracked approval signals California’s commitment to accelerating clean energy deployment.

4. Replicable Model: Strategically transforming fallow agricultural land into high-impact clean infrastructure offers a scalable approach for other regions.

Looking Ahead

Construction is expected to begin later in 2025, with projected completion by 2027 or 2028. As the U.S. advances toward cleaner and more resilient energy grids, Darden is set to serve as a transformative blueprint for integrated solar‑storage development.

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