EDF Renewables clinches PPA for 250 MW/1000 MWh battery project in Arizona

EDF Renewables North America said it has secured a 20-year energy storage power purchase agreement (PPA) with Arizona Public Service (APS), clinching an off-taker deal for its coming 250-MW/1,000 MWh Beehive battery energy storage system (BESS) project.

Located in the city of Peoria, Maricopa County, Arizona, the stand-alone battery energy storage system (BESS) will a 250 MW with 4-hour duration capacity, and is expected to go live in 2026, with construction starting in 2025. The project represents EDF Renewables’ second stand-alone storage project.

The BESS should storage excess energy from the grid during times of high renewable penetration, and provide energy during periods of high demand to balance the grid.

“EDF Renewables recognizes the essential role of storage technologies for utilities like APS in facilitating the broader deployment of utility-scale renewables,” said Dai Owen, senior vice president, origination and power marketing for EDF Renewables.

“As a complementary market to our core renewable generation business, storage has become increasingly significant. By adding Beehive to APS’s already diverse power supply, it will be better equipped to provide reliable, affordable and cleaner energy to its customers.”

Brian Cole, APS vice president of resource management, commented, “We are incorporating a range of technologies and innovations as part of APS’s balanced energy mix to maintain reliability and affordability on the path to a cleaner energy future for our customers. Storage systems, including the Beehive project, give greater flexibility in meeting customer’s energy needs, enabling us to continue integrating variable sources, like solar, into the energy grid.”