An Arizona-based energy developer, owner, and operator of power generation projects said one of its major solar-plus-storage facilities has entered full commercial operation in California.
Arevon Energy on August 7 held a ceremony to celebrate completion of the second phase of the Eland Solar-plus-Storage Project, located near Mojave in Kern County. The two-phase Eland installation has a total generation capacity of 758 MW, and is paired with 300 MW/1,200 MWh of energy storage. The facility, one of the largest such installations built to date in the U.S., represents an investment of more than $2 billion.
Officials on Thursday said Eland phases 1 and 2 can provide as much as 7% of the total electricity requirements for Los Angeles. Eland 1 reached commercial operation at the end of last year. The two phases together include 1.36-million solar panels, along with 172 lithium iron phosphate batteries, or LFP, batteries.
“We are building a greener Los Angeles. Arevon’s Eland Solar-plus-Storage Project alone will generate enough power to serve more than 266,000 homes in Los Angeles and push the city’s clean energy share above 60%, a major milestone in L.A.’s transition to being powered by 100% clean energy by 2035,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. “This is L.A.’s clean energy future … I want to thank LADWP [Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power], Arevon, and all of the partners who made this occasion possible.”
Other officials attending Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony included Trelynd Bradley, deputy director for Innovation and Emerging Technologies at the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz); Janisse Quiñones, CEO and Chief Engineer at LADWP; Daniel E. Garcia, executive director at Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA); Scott Mellon, general manager at Glendale Water and Power (GWP); Chris Hannan, president at the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California; Lorelei Oviatt, AICP, director at Kern County Planning and Natural Resources; and Justin Johnson, COO at Arevon. Kevin Smith, CEO at Arevon, served as the event’s master of ceremonies.
“Bringing Eland Solar-plus-Storage online is a defining achievement for Arevon. Not only is Eland the largest project in our portfolio, but it also delivers reliable and affordable energy at scale and reflects our team’s leadership in advancing California’s renewables-forward future,” said Smith. “Strong collaboration among the project’s landowners and community members as well as our power offtake and financing partners was essential in getting us to this moment. We are pleased to deliver homegrown, stable, and secure power to Los Angelenos and contribute to the state’s renewable energy goals, all the while supporting local communities and investing in long-term sustainability.”
The energy generated and stored by Eland is under long-term agreements with Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA), which delivers it to its members, LADWP and GWP.
Officials noted that California is on track to achieve 100% clean energy by 2035, with 57% of the state’s electricity already coming from renewable resources.
The batteries for the project were manufactured in Lathrop, California. They are designed to efficiently and quickly discharge power during times of peak demand, and also to mitigate brownouts and blackouts.
Officials said Eland 1 & 2 created about 1,000 construction jobs, with the project expected to disburse more than $36 million in local government payments throughout its lifetime.
“This celebration marks a critical step toward LADWP’s accelerated goal of 100% clean energy by 2035,” said Quiñones of LADWP. “The Eland project represents what we need to achieve this objective—scale, energy storage, reliability, and innovation—while demonstrating what is possible when public and private sectors partner to benefit our city and the environment.”
“Eland is a game-changer for Glendale. It’s not just about clean energy—it’s about building a smarter, more resilient power grid that meets the moment. With cutting-edge solar and storage in one of the biggest projects of its kind, we’re locking in affordable, 100% carbon-free energy for our community and setting the pace for what a modern utility should look like,” said Mellon of GWP.
“The Eland project exemplifies what’s possible when public power agencies and innovative private partners work together to deliver transformative energy solutions. This milestone is not just about megawatts, it’s about building a more sustainable, reliable future for the communities and members we serve,” said Garcia of SCPPA.
Arevon has more than 3.7 GW of power projects in operation, representing more than $5 billion in capital investments. The company recently issued other announcements celebrating achievements at several of its California projects, including the start of operations at its Peregrine Energy Storage Project, the first phase of Eland, the Vikings Solar-plus-Storage Project, and the Condor Energy Storage Project. Arevon also announced construction has begun at the Nighthawk Energy Storage Project. The company also recently executed offtake agreements for its Cormorant Energy Storage Project and its Avocet Energy Storage Project.
—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.
