Under the agreement, LADWP will purchase electricity and associated environmental attributes from the project for 30 years beginning in June 2027.
Los Angeles officials have approved a long-term agreement to purchase solar energy from a utility-scale project in Utah, adding 300 megawatts of renewable power to the city’s electricity portfolio as it works toward a goal of achieving 100% clean energy by 2035.
The Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners approved agreements between the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the Southern California Public Power Authority for power generated by the Utah Solar 1 project in Millard County, Utah. The Los Angeles City Council subsequently approved the arrangement.
Under the agreement, LADWP will purchase electricity and associated environmental attributes from the project for 30 years beginning in June 2027.
City officials estimate the project will provide nearly 4% of Los Angeles’ renewable energy supply and generate about 823,000 megawatt-hours of electricity annually during its first year of operation. According to LADWP, that amount of energy would be enough to power more than 214,000 homes.
The solar facility will connect to existing transmission infrastructure and deliver power into LADWP’s balancing authority area, allowing the utility to expand its renewable energy portfolio without constructing new major transmission lines.
Officials said the project is expected to avoid approximately 165,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, an amount LADWP estimates is comparable to removing nearly 38,000 passenger vehicles from the road.
The agreement is part of a broader effort by Los Angeles to increase its reliance on renewable energy. The city has set targets of sourcing 80% of its electricity from renewable resources by 2030 and 100% carbon-free energy by 2035.
