Arizona’s Largest BESS Comes Online, to Support Google Mesa Campus

Salt River Project (SRP) and NextEra Energy Resources have put the 260 MW Sonoran Solar Energy Center, located south of Buckeye, Ariz., into operation. 

The solar facility can additionally charge a 1 GWh BESS, which the company says is the largest in the state. The center is expected to help match the electricity consumed by Google’s forthcoming data center campus in Mesa, with any unused energy going to other SRP customers.

The joint company effort is also slated to support Google through the Storey Energy Center, an 88 MW solar and BESS in Coolidge, Ariz., and the still under development 161 MW wind facility, Babbitt Ranch Energy Center, in Coconino County.

“SRP and the Valley are fortunate to have sustainability focused organizations like Google located here who help accelerate the transition to carbon-free power resources,” says SRP’s Bobby Olsen. “We also value our partnerships with developers like NextEra Energy Resources who support SRP in developing renewable resources in a rapid timeframe as we prioritize delivering affordable, reliable and sustainable power to all SRP customers.”