Greenbacker Renewable Energy Co. (GREC), a company that acquires and manages renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, says Rawhide Prairie Solar, a 22 MW project in Colorado, has achieved commercial operation. GREC is managed by Greenbacker Capital Management, a national investment firm in the sustainable infrastructure sector.
The facility marks GREC’s first solar+storage project – pairing solar power generation with power storage capabilities. An onsite Tesla battery pack is capable of storing up to 2 MWh of energy and helps ensure more reliable power during times of peak consumer demand or lower solar resource.
“Rawhide Prairie Solar was our first solar+storage project, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see it up and running,” says Charles Wheeler, CEO of GREC. “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 will generate energy to power homes in the utility’s owner communities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland. DEPCOM Power provided the engineering and construction of the plant and will continue to manage the project and 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.
