Sunlight Storage II Battery System Fully Operational

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) says the Sunlight Storage II BESS project is now fully operational, adding an additional 300 MW of energy storage to the Desert Sunlight Solar Farm in Riverside County, Calif., and bringing the project’s total energy storage capacity to 530 MW. 

“BLM-managed public lands play a critical role in the clean energy transition,” says Shelly Lynch, California Desert district manager. “The demand for renewable energy has never been greater and Sunlight Storage II contributes to a robust and sustainable clean energy economy.”

The BESS is in an area identified as suitable for development as part of the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan Land Use Plan Amendment. The plan focuses on 10.8 million acres of public lands in the desert regions of seven California counties in order to streamline renewable development while conserving local ecosystems and providing outdoor recreation opportunities.