Arizona-headquartered Arevon Energy said it has started construction of the Nighthawk Energy Storage Project in Poway, California. The company on July 31 provided more details of the 300-MW/1,200-MWh installation that represents a $600-million investment.
Arevon will own and operate Nighthawk. The company in 2021 signed a long-term contract under which the energy storage facility will provide power and resource adequacy to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).
Nighthawk will connect to the power grid at the Sycamore Canyon Substation, located on the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar. Energy will be distributed to the greater San Diego area. The project is expected to provide more than $30 million in local government payments to the county and surrounding area, funds that can support infrastructure improvements, schools, and public services. The city of Poway is expected to receive about $12 million of that total.
California-headquartered construction group Rosendin is building the project on behalf of Arevon. Nighthawk is expected to employ more than 130 workers during the height of construction.
Arevon in a news release said the utility-scale battery system will allow electricity to be stored during periods of low demand, and then dispatched to the grid during periods of high demand or other situations that call for an increased supply of power. The company said the project is strategically located on the transmission system to reduce the risk of brownouts and blackouts. Nighthawk Energy Storage will feature modern lithium iron phosphate batteries.
“What sets the Nighthawk Energy Storage Project apart is Arevon’s years of experience and proven track record in successfully developing safe, reliable renewable energy and battery storage projects in California and throughout the United States as well as the project’s design, which includes added safety measures and will comprise the safest and most advanced batteries on the market today,” said Kevin Smith, CEO of Arevon. Smith noted the company “has partnered with the Poway Fire Department, who is committed to protecting the community, first responders, and the facility in the unlikely event an incident occurs. Battery storage is the way of the future, and Arevon is pleased to bring this essential energy solution to Poway, where we are committed to being a great community partner through the project’s multi-decade life.”
Arevon is a nationwide renewable energy developer. The company has more than 3.2 GW of operational assets in California, and more than 800 MW under construction in the state. 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, its Eland 1 Solar-plus-Storage Project, its Vikings Solar-plus-Storage Project, and its Condor Energy Storage Project. Arevon also announced offtake agreements for its Cormorant Energy Storage Project and its Avocet Energy Storage Project and closed financing on its Eland 2 Solar-plus-Storage Project.
Arevon last year announced construction of several solar power projects in Indiana.
—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.
