Electrify America announced the start of commercial operation for the new 75 Megawatt (MW) Electrify America Solar Glow™ 1 solar photovoltaic renewable energy generation project in San Bernardino County, CA, announced last year. Electrify America Solar Glow™ 1 is the result of a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with developer Terra-Gen.
Electrify America is the largest open network of DC fast chargers for electric vehicles in the U.S. to enter into a virtual power purchase agreement for new renewable energy generation. This brand new construction contributes to ‘additionality,’ by producing new renewable energy that may not otherwise be available.
“Electrify America Solar Glow™ 1 is an important milestone in our commitment to reduce our energy carbon footprint,” said Robert Barrosa, President and CEO of Electrify America. “Electrify America is committed to being a part of the broader charging solution for EV drivers today and in the future.”
This investment is expected to generate 75 MW at peak solar capacity, which is comparable to the power drawn by 500 EVs charging at once at an average speed of 150 kilowatts. The total annual production is projected at 225 Gigawatt-hours (GWh).
In 2022, Electrify America powered more than 5 million customer charging sessions or 3.5 times the sessions in 2021. These sessions delivered roughly 173 GWh of electricity, enabling an estimated 493 million miles of electric driving and avoided consumption of roughly 21 million gallons of gasoline.
“We expect the demand on our charging network to continue to rise with the increase in EV ownership,” said Jigar Shah, Director of Energy Services at Electrify America. “Solar Glow™ 1 adds new additional 100% renewable energy generation with estimated annual production that exceeds our 2022 network usage.”
“This solar project is a significant accomplishment reinforcing our commitment in 2022 to back all energy delivered to customers on Electrify America’s coast-to-coast public, ultra-fast DC charging network with 100% renewable energy,” Barrosa said.
The Electrify America Solar Glow™ 1 project is located in San Bernardino County, CA. It has over 200,000 solar panels and encompasses an area over one square mile.
More information on Solar Glow™ 1 and Electrify America’s VPPA investment is available here.
