‍Boise, Idaho - March 2, 2016 - Clēnera’s Avalon Solar Partners II project has been delivering clean energy to the state of Arizona since 2016. Situated on 118 acres of degraded mining land in Sahuarita, south of Tucson, this project has 70,000 solar panels and a capacity of 21.49 megawatts. 

Avalon Solar Partners II serves as an expansion to the first phase of the Avalon Solar project, and generates enough clean energy each year to power more than 4,400 homes in Arizona through a 20-year power purchase agreement with Tucson Electric Power. With the help of Avalon Solar Partners II, Tucson Electric Power is well on its way to achieving the state mandate requiring 15% of its power production to come from renewable sources by 2025. What’s more, Tucson Electric Power has plans to double this state mandate and work towards delivering at least 30% of its power from renewable resources by 2030.

“We’re working to provide more solar power for more customers for less money,” Carmine Tilghman, Tucson Electric Power’s senior director of energy supply and renewable energy, said in a news release. 

When construction of the first phase of the Avalon project began in 2014, Arizona was ranked fifth in the nation for solar installations, according to SEIA. At the time, Arizona was in the process of installing more than 247 MW of solar energy, pioneering the push towards solar in the state. 

The Avalon project is unique in the sense that it was the largest solar project in the United States located on degraded mining land. The decision to build on land previously used for mining was born out of the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency program, which was established with the objective of building renewable energy projects on disturbed lands, including mine sites. 

With the addition of Avalon Solar Partners II, the second phase of Avalon Solar, the Avalon Solar site is among the largest operations of its kind in Tucson Electric Power’s service territory, and is largely contributing to Tucson Electric Power’s efforts of bringing reliable, affordable, and clean energy to Tucson’s residents. Through Clēnera’s partnerships with Swinerton Renewable Energy, technology providers, and the community, Avalon Solar Partners II is also able to strengthen the local economy. 

About Clēnera 

Clenera, LLC (“Clēnera”) is a privately-held renewable energy company headquartered in Boise, Idaho. Clēnera acquires, develops, builds and manages utility-scale solar farms and energy storage facilities throughout the United States. Combining breakthrough technology with a deeply integrated team approach, Clēnera provides reliable, affordable energy systems and helps its utility partners become clean energy leaders in their communities. Clēnera’s current operating portfolio exceeds 1.3 GW, with more than 14 GW of solar and storage assets in development. Learn more at www.clenera.com.

About Tucson Electric Power

TEP provides safe, reliable electric service to more than 428,000 customers in southern Arizona. For more information, visit tep.com.

Media Contact:

Clēnera
208-968-7403
pr@clenera.com

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