The crown jewel of the Department of Public Utilities solar projects is the 19.6-megawatt system at the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility — the largest commercial/municipal solar and battery system in the United States, according to a news release. City of Fresno photo

The City of Fresno held a “Flip the Switch” ceremony Thursday to mark the completion of two of the City’s largest solar energy and battery storage projects. 

Key sites include the Department of Public Utilities, Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility, Southeast Surface Water Treatment Facility and the Northeast Surface Water Treatment Facility.

With a combined capacity of 27 megawatts, the DPU projects are expected to save over $122 million in ratepayer dollars by 2045. Thursday’s event marked the energization of the crown jewel of these projects: the 19.6-megawatt system at the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility — the largest commercial/municipal solar and battery system in the United States, according to a news release.

“These new solar and storage assets are putting Fresno on the map and reaffirming our commitment to a cleaner, more sustainable future,” said Mayor Jerry Dyer.

With the landmark DPU portfolio nearing completion, the City is well on its way to reaching a global milestone: hosting the largest multi-campus solar energy and battery storage portfolio anywhere in the U.S. Once all projects are completed, the City will have developed over 34 megawatts of solar and battery storage across eight sites. 

These sites include other high-impact locations like the Fresno Animal Center, Southeast Police Station, Fire Station 18, Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FYI), and FAX (Fresno Area Express). Combined, the full portfolio is projected to save the City more than $154 million over the next 20 years. 

 

The City’s solar portfolio was constructed by local labor union from the IBEW Local 100, creating 192 local jobs in the process. The system was financed and constructed with no upfront cost to the City by ForeFront Power and includes a power purchase agreement (PPA) that locks in low fixed electricity rates for the next 20 years.

“We are honored to partner with the City of Fresno to realize their visionary energy plan,” said Dr. Ruben Fontes, CEO of ForeFront Power. “The DPU sites are unique in their scale as well as their impact. By generating and storing clean power on site, DPU reduces its reliance on costly grid electricity and can pass those savings back to ratepayers. Moreover, the batteries installed at each site ensure that energy is always available to power the City’s essential infrastructure.”

The new solar and storage portfolio will help DPU avoid over 26,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually, equivalent to taking 6,000 gas-powered passenger vehicles off local roads each year.