Riverside County Project Covers Nearly 5 Square Miles
ANAHEIM, CA – Rosendin’s Renewable Energy Group (REG), a division of Rosendin is constructing one of the largest solar projects in the state of California. Rosendin was contracted by subsidiaries of SB Energy US Holdings One, Inc. (SB Energy), a renewable energy corporation and a subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp, to design and build the $700+ million project, which will cover nearly 5-square miles in Riverside County.
Once completed, the combined 450MWac Athos I and Athos II solar installations will provide the capacity to generate over 2,200 GWh per year of renewable energy, enough to power 179,000 homes and offset 1.7 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
Athos I will have the capacity to generate up to 361-Megawatts (DC) as early as March 2022* (SB Energy has a Power Purchase Agreement to sell the energy to Direct Energy Business).
Athos II will have a 288-Megawatt (DC)* capacity when completed around November 2021. (It has a contract to sell long-term renewable energy credits and output to an unnamed company when completed around November 2021*.)
“Rosendin collaborated with SB Energy on this project for over a year, and we’re thrilled to be constructing the facility as the next phase of this partnership. The extensive design planning process ensured we could exceed system performance and long-term reliability while maximizing construction efficiencies and minimizing upfront capital expenditures,“ said David Lincoln, Senior Vice President, Rosendin Renewable Energy Group.
“Our collaborated approach was the deciding factor for SB Energy in selecting the REG team as our turn-key design-build EPC for the Athos I & II projects,” said Abhijeet Sathe, co-CEO of SB Energy. “Rosendin’s strong presence in California with the ability to attract union labor, as well as self performs of low, medium, and high voltage substation and transmission work, and the overall competitive advantages in the full spectrum of EPC made them the obvious choice as our key partner to build the project. We believe we can build a long-lasting partnership starting from these two projects.”
Rosendin’s REG collaborates with developer and independent power producer clients early in the project development cycle to provide best-in-class solutions that meet the ever-evolving challenges of the utility-scale solar industry.
“Given the overall complexity of the project development cycle here in California, working between three vested agency authorities and the site’s unique preconstruction design and engineering challenges, the SBE/Rosendin team embraced key aspects of Integrated Project Delivery management philosophy,” said Rick Gonzales, Division Manager overseeing the Athos projects’ work. “By involving all stakeholders across the full spectrum of the permitting process, subcontracted scopes of work, supply chain providers, and our IBEW labor team, early on in planning process, we have assured the high level of accountability and ownership of responsibilities required to make this project a huge success.”
Athos is one of the largest renewable energy projects in California, incorporating 1.48 million First Solar Series 6™ photovoltaic (PV) modules on a 3,440-acre* land parcel, located approximately 75 miles east of Palm Springs in a small town called Desert Center.
Rosendin will utilize over 400 employees and union contractors with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) to construct the project, following all COVID-19 safety protocols.
“Like so many other industries, construction has suffered during the pandemic. Our partners at Rosendin have been exceptional in keeping job sites safe so our members can continue building our nation’s infrastructure. We have complete confidence in their leadership,” said Jim Rush, IBEW Local 440 Business Manager.
One of the fastest-growing renewable energy groups in the country, Rosendin’s REG is building a robust workforce through the active recruitment of experienced engineers, estimators, and project managers
SB Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp., is a leading utility scale solar, energy storage, and technology platform.
