After acquiring the project in September 2020, Greenbacker Renewable Energy Co. (GREC) has announced that the Rawhide Prairie Solar + Storage project has been commissioned in Colorado. The 22-MW solar project has a 2-MWh Tesla battery pack on site. This is the first solar + storage project for GREC.

“Rawhide Prairie Solar was our first solar + storage project, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see it up and running,” said GREC CEO Charles Wheeler. “Energy storage will play a crucial role in the future of renewable energy, bringing many practical benefits to consumers and the community, as well as advantages for producers and offtakers of clean power. We’re happy to partner with the Platte River Power Authority and DEPCOM to put this technology to work in Colorado.”

Located at the Platte River Power Authority’s Rawhide Energy Station, Rawhide Prairie was constructed by DEPCOM Power and will deliver output to Platte River under a 20-year power purchase agreement.

Rawhide Prairie encompasses approximately 150 acres adjacent to the 30-MW Rawhide Flats Solar installation and brings Platte River’s total solar capacity to 52 MW, while further diversifying the organization’s resources located at the Rawhide Energy Station.

“The battery at Rawhide Prairie Solar continues Platte River’s thoughtful approach to investment in energy technology,” said Platte River Power Authority CEO and General Manager Jason Frisbie. “Platte River staff will gain valuable experience utilizing energy storage to integrate noncarbon resources before we accelerate adoption of this technology.” The organization has set the goal of achieving a 100% noncarbon energy portfolio by 2030.

News item from GREC