The 15-year PPA with Pattern Energy will expand CPA's diverse clean energy portfolio and provide CPA with 575 MW of wind energy, enough to power 265,834 homes in Southern California annually. The wind energy will be generated at the SunZia Wind project site in central New Mexico which is scheduled to begin full construction later this year to allow for the project to achieve commercial operation in 2026.
The wind power from this project will be carried over the SunZia Transmission Line, which will enable the delivery of power from SunZia Wind directly into the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) energy market. Central New Mexico is home to some of the best wind resources in the United States.
"I am thrilled to see CPA lead with this historic investment in the largest renewable energy project in America, which will provide clean wind power to Southern California and complement our abundant solar resources," said CPA Vice Chair and Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath.
The SunZia Wind project is historic in size. At over 3.5 gigawatts, the project will have capacity about 50 percent greater than Hoover Dam and will produce nearly triple the annual power generation of Hoover. Together with the SunZia Transmission Line, this $8 billion project will be the single largest renewable energy infrastructure project ever constructed in the United States. CPA will be a primary recipient of energy from the project, contracting for 16 percent of SunZia's overall capacity.
"The SunZia project will be a key source of renewable energy for CPA to better provide reliable power throughout the evening to our customers," said Ted Bardacke, CEO of Clean Power Alliance. "As our customer base continues to grow – and with three new communities being served by 100% Green Power starting next spring - it's imperative that we continue to search out abundant sources of clean energy to meet the growing demand of the communities we serve."
The agreement with Pattern Energy is the 40th long-term PPA that CPA has secured since starting service to customers in 2018 and is the third PPA to secure out of state renewable resources, while 16 of its PPAs are for projects located within Los Angeles County. CPA currently serves more than 3 million residents and businesses in 32 communities and will expand to 35 in March 2024 when the cities of Hermosa Beach, Monrovia, and Santa Paula each begin service – adding approximately 38,000 additional renewable energy customers.
The SunZia Wind project has been nearly two decades in the making and has a wide variety of supporters across federal government, labor, business, and environmental groups. In developing the project, Pattern Energy worked with conservation groups to mitigate impacts to wildlife and natural habitats.
"We are excited to have reached an agreement with Clean Power Alliance to help provide clean power from SunZia Wind to their millions of residents and businesses in the Los Angeles region," said Hunter Armistead, CEO of Pattern Energy. "SunZia represents the largest renewable energy infrastructure project in U.S. history, with one of the strongest wind resources in the country to create an ideal complement to daytime solar power."
Pattern Energy has an operating portfolio of 30 renewable power facilities, including projects that supply other public power and community choice aggregators (CCA) in California, and has placed approximately 6 GW of wind generation into service in its history.
Pattern Energy is committed to the highest workforce standards and will utilize all available local qualified International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) labor as well as other building trades. Pattern Energy has pledged support to CPA's ongoing local workforce development efforts to grow green jobs and prepare the workforce for the future.‥
The IBEW has hailed the project as a significant, positive, and responsible economic development opportunity and a source of good union jobs.‥
"IBEW members across the West appreciate the high labor standards that Clean Power Alliance has promoted on its projects, with more than 20 project labor agreements in effect on new clean energy infrastructure completed or under construction for CPA," said IBEW International President Kenneth Cooper.
"The SunZia project will help meet the challenges being faced as a nation to build a resilient grid and meet carbon reduction goals for future generations."
