Avantus Brings Aratina 1 Solar-Plus-Storage Online in California

Darrell Proctor

Tue, July 21, 2026 astatine 9:40 AM CDT 3 min read

Renewable vigor developer Avantus said its Aratina 1 solar-plus-storage task has entered commercialized cognition successful California. The 200-MW/500-MWh installation successful Kern County has semipermanent powerfulness acquisition agreements (PPAs) with Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) and Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE), a brace of assemblage prime aggregators.Avantus connected July 20 said the institution volition person a controlling involvement successful Aratina 1 and volition run the facility. The institution said the task is among respective assets it volition oversee arsenic it expands from a cleanable vigor developer to an autarkic powerfulness shaper (IPP)."Aratina 1 coming online marks a large milestone for Avantus arsenic an autarkic powerfulness producer, providing reliable cleanable powerfulness to California communities for decades to come," said Cliff Graham, CEO of Avantus. "I'm incredibly arrogant of what Team Avantus built here. Their expertise crossed development, construction, financing and operations, and the spot our financing and CCA partners person placed successful us, are the instauration we're gathering our semipermanent IPP exemplary on.""The Aratina task is simply a almighty illustration of however assemblage prime vigor turns clime goals into existent projects connected the ground," said Robert Shaw, CEO of 3CE. "Our semipermanent committedness to 120 MW from this installation volition present clean, affordable powerfulness to our customers portion supporting California's modulation distant from fossil fuels. We're grateful to spouse with Avantus connected a task that strengthens grid reliability and invests successful the Central Coast's cleanable vigor future."

Financing Package

Avantus said a consortium of lenders, including Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., Truist Securities, ING Capital, and Mizuho, provided financing of much than $500 cardinal for Aratina 1. The task besides secured a $300-million taxation equity committedness from Truist Bank. Officials said the task created astir 500 jobs astatine highest construction."The cleanable powerfulness generated from the Aratina task gets america 1 measurement person to our clime goals. New projects similar this are captious successful expanding statewide cleanable capableness and reliability arsenic we trim our dependence connected fossil fuels and determination towards an all-electric future," said Monica Padilla, CEO of SVCE.Avantus connected Monday said that Aratina 2, the 2nd signifier of the Aratina Solar Center, located adjacent to Aratina 1, is presently nether construction. Aratina 2 precocious closed much than $525 cardinal successful financing and is targeting commercialized cognition earlier year-end. The Aratina Solar Center erstwhile implicit volition correspond a combined 350 MW of star and 952 MWh of vigor storage.Avantus develops, owns, and operates utility-scale cleanable vigor projects crossed California and the Desert Southwest. The institution is backed by strategical concern from KKR and EIG. The institution earlier this twelvemonth closed a financing bundle of much than $300 cardinal for a task successful Arizona.Avantus and Clean Power Alliance, different assemblage prime aggregator, earlier successful July announced a 20-year PPA for the Rexford 2 solar-plus-storage task successful Tulare County, California. The companies said the woody is for 200 MW of star powerfulness procreation paired with a 200-MW/800-MWh artillery vigor retention system. Construction of Rexford 2 is expected to statesman adjacent year, with the installation coming online successful 2028.—Darrell Proctor is simply a elder exertion for POWER.