Avantus completes Aratina 1, secures phase 2 financing, targets 952 MWh of solar-charged storage

A large solar and battery storage project in Kern County, California, has started operating. Developer Avantus says the first phase of its Aratina Solar Center, with 200 megawatts of solar power and 500 megawatt-hours of battery storage, is now sending electricity to the grid. Batteries store solar power generated during the day so it can be used later, including in the evening when demand is high. Avantus says the project will produce enough clean power for about 105,000 California homes each year, sold under long-term contracts to two community choice aggregators, which are local agencies that buy power on behalf of residents: Central Coast Community Energy and Silicon Valley Clean Energy.

Avantus has also lined up $525 million to build a second phase, adding 150 megawatts of solar and 452 megawatt-hours of storage. A related project, Aratina 2, is under construction and expected to open by the end of 2026, with power going to Southern California Edison under a 15-year contract. Another Avantus project, Rexford 2 in Tulare County, is also in the pipeline.

This is utility-scale development, not something tied to individual homes, but it points to a broader buildout of solar and storage across California. Avantus says it now has 13 gigawatts of solar and 44 gigawatt-hours of storage in development across California, Nevada and Arizona. Industry group SEIA projects the state will add nearly 23 gigawatts of solar capacity over the next five years, largely through projects like this one, as California works toward its grid reliability goals.