In a press release, Fervo Energy, a green energy supplier, announced the signing of two 15-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Southern California Edison(SCE).
The agreements entail 320 megawatts (MW) of capacity dedicated to around-the-clock carbon-free geothermal energy.
Fervo’s power will help supply clean and affordable power sufficient to support nearly 350,000 homes across Southern California. The geothermal energy will aid SCE in achieving its goal of helping California transition to a cleaner energy future.
Also read: Microsoft inks long-term PPAs with European Energy to accelerate green transition
The release mentioned that the SCE will purchase the power from Fervo Energy’s 400 MW Cape Station project located in southwest Utah. The station is currently in its construction phase.
The project’s first phase, with a capacity of 70 MW, is expected to commence operations by 2026, and the second phase is anticipated to begin operations by 2028.
California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild said, “This announcement is another milestone in California’s commitment to clean, zero-carbon electricity”.
He added, “Enhanced geothermal systems complement our abundant wind and solar resources by providing critical base load when those sources are limited. This is key to ensuring reliability as we continue to transition away from fossil fuels.”
Also read: Microsoft and Repsol ink six long-term renewable energy VPPAs
The demand for geothermal in California spiked when the California Utilities Commission issued a mid-term reliability (MTR) mandate to obtain 1,000 MW of “non-battery, zero-emission energy to increase the reliability of the state’s electric grid”, the release mentions.
Dawn Owens, VP and Head of Development & Commercial Markets for Fervo Energy emphasized that geothermal energy is the perfect solution for California’s transition to a completely decarbonized grid.