PVTIME – The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved the Darden Clean Energy Project, the first initiative to pass through its Opt-in Certification Programme. The project is set to become the world’s largest battery energy storage facility. The project, developed by IP Darden I, LLC — a subsidiary of Intersect Power — will occupy 9,500 acres of land in western Fresno County that has been deemed unsuitable for agriculture due to degradation.
The project will connect to PG&E’s grid and deploy a 4.6GW battery energy storage system (BESS) alongside 300 million solar panels, delivering 1.1GW of photovoltaic capacity. This configuration has the capacity to power 850,000 homes for up to four hours. CEC Chair David Hochschild has highlighted the project’s “massive scale, advanced design principles, and robust safety measures” as being crucial to achieving California’s goal of 100% clean power by 2045.
Projects in the fast-track certification programme must pay industry-standard wages and commit to community enrichment. During its construction, which is expected to take between one and a half and three years, Darden will generate over 2,000 jobs. The developer has pledged $2 million in community investments over ten years, beginning with a $320,000 donation to Centro La Familia Advocacy Services, a rural charity supporting victims of crime and grassroots engagement.
Commissioner Noemí Gallardo stated that modern clean energy projects must ‘transcend power delivery to create enduring value locally’. She noted that the Darden scheme exemplifies a community-centric model, aligning with California’s energy transition while directly benefiting regional workers and residents.
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