Los Angeles, California is expected to approve a project as early as July 23, 2019 that will make solar power cheaper than ever by combining a very large solar farm with battery backup provided by one of the world’s largest battery installations. The project includes  Phase 1 and Phase 2 generating farms of  200 megawatts each plus at least 100 megawatts and possibly as much as 150 megawatts of battery capacity at each site resulting in 400 megawatts of solar generation and 200-300 megawatts of energy storage.

The project will provide 7% of the city’s electricity and expected to be producing power as early as 2023. The project will sell its power to Los Angeles at a price of $19.97 per megawatt (U.S.), significantly lower than the December 2018 Texas agreement of $25 per megawatt hour which is among the lowest confirmed PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) prices in the U.S.

Solar power is quickly outpacing fossil fuel for price and environmental benefit with battery storage enhancing the proposition for utility-scale facilities and others. Rapid price declines are driving a shift to renewables with battery storage as the most cost-effective type of generation to install. Individual businesses can reap similar benefits by augmenting utility power with rooftop solar installations that offset electricity costs long term. This enhances profitability, especially for commercial enterprises that are large electrical consumers. 

“Solar farm”by kevin dooley is licensed under CC BY 2.0