Spotlight: San Diego Community Power

San Diego Community Power (SDCP), formed in the fall of 2019, is a locally-run, not-for-profit community choice aggregator (CCA). SDCP purchases renewable power, like solar and wind, and feeds it into the electricity grid, working with San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) to deliver it to surrounding communities at competitive rates. In this way, they allow cities to purchase and or generate electricity for residents and businesses.

Today, SDCP provides electricity to 960,000 customer accounts in the cities of Chula Vista, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, La Mesa and San Diego, as well as the unincorporated communities of the County of San Diego and the City of National City.

Clean Power Close to Home

SDCP’s program provides local control and consumer choice regarding energy decisions on a large scale – for the first time in the region’s history. To realize their goal of procuring 100 percent renewable energy to local communities by 2035 or sooner, SDCP began searching for a developer partner. They were looking for a partner who could help deliver renewable energy to customers, support regional jobs and bolster economic development.

“SDCP is committed to understanding what families need and want when it comes to their energy,” remarked Byron Vosburg, Managing Director, San Diego Community Power (SDCP). “We strive to foster trust and provide value by responding to community needs for comprehensive, reliable, high-quality renewable energy. Similarly, we look for partners who can offer the same, and have a similar community – service mindset.”

A Power Purchase Partnership

RAI Energy was the answer for SDCP. With decades of industry experience, and a long track record of successful renewables deployment, RAI Energy was selected to develop, and build Vikings Energy Farm. “We knew that because of RAI Energy’s excellent reputation, we were in good hands,” Vosburg continued. “Their ability to collaborate and effectively bring together the right vendors was a major advantage.”

The power purchase agreement (PPA) with RAI Energy’s Vikings Energy project also marked the milestone of the first PPA for the young community power organization.

Vikings Energy Farm, when completed, will be a solar-plus-storage plant located near Holtville, Imperial County, California. The project’s unique 1:1 configuration of 150 MW of solar coupled with 150 MW/600 MWh of battery energy storage will allow SDCP to shift daytime solar production to late afternoon and evening hours, providing on-peak energy while benefiting the local community. Under the terms of the power purchase agreement, SDCP will have access to a 20-year supply of renewable energy – enough to power the equivalent of 50,000 homes.

Centered on Communities

Showcasing the commitment to the local community, RAI Energy named the project after the Holtville High School Vikings mascot. The developer chose this name to highlight the importance of building a community around clean energy. Additionally, RAI Energy is developing a scholarship program benefiting Holtville students.

This commitment to communities, education and clean energy has given RAI Energy a consistent advantage over other developers. Creating connections with utilities, landowners, businesses, and communities and enabling them to work together helps complete projects on competitive timelines.

Mohammed Alrai, CEO of RAI Energy remarks, “The Vikings Energy Farm project demonstrates our dedication to procuring locally sourced renewable energy and supporting our local families. In addition to the scholarship program we enacted, this project provides employment for hundreds of recently graduated IBEW trained apprentices who were trained in the Imperial Valley and San Diego IBEW training facilities. This is the right location for solar development – sited centrally in the Imperial County Renewable Energy Zone.”

Strategic Development for a Renewable Energy Future

Development began in 2020 in the midst of pandemic-related lockdowns, and then transitioned from development to pre-construction in July of 2022, after unanimous approval from the Imperial County Board of Supervisors. Construction on Vikings Energy Farm is expected to begin in Q4 of 2022, with commercial operations expected to begin toward the end of 2023. RAI Energy entered into a union labor agreement for the Vikings Energy Farm project and is expected to employ in excess of 250 (this number should be higher) union workers.

“Vikings is both a validation of our California strategy and motivation to continue developing our renewable energy portfolio in the western U.S.,” concluded Alrai. With the recent signing of the Inflation Reduction Act, we are ready to continue developing our more than 3 GW portfolio of solar, energy storage and green hydrogen, and excited to be part of enabling our country’s transition to clean and renewable sources of energy.”

Key Statistics