With 105,000 solar panels, the facility will generate clean, emission-free energy for 14,000 US homes.
The project supports the US energy transition, while increasing job creation and boosting the local economy.
Iberdrola, through Avangrid, its subsidiary in the United States, has begun construction of the Camino Solar project in Kern Countru (California). The photovoltaic plant will have 105,000 solar panels and, with a capacity of 57 MW, will generate clean, emission-free energy for 14,000 US homes, a population similar to that of Arcos de la Frontera in Cadiz or Sitges in Barcelona.
The project supports the US energy transition, enabling access to clean energy, while increasing the reliability of the US grid and increasing job creation, boosting the local economy. Specifically, the construction of Camino Solar will create more than 100 jobs and several permanent positions upon completion.
“This first PV installation joins the six wind farms already delivering clean energy in the state of California,” said Pedro Azagra, CEO of Avangrid. “This is another example of Iberdrola’s commitment to developing projects that create jobs, support local communities and accelerate the transition to a decarbonised economy,” he added.
The plant is located in an area that has been scientifically analysed and identified as suitable for the development of renewable energies. Specifically, its location is next to Iberdrola’s Manzana wind farm, which, with 189MW of capacity, entered commercial operation in 2012.
Growth in the United States
Iberdrola is one of the three largest renewable energy operators in the United States, with 8,800 MW of emission-free installed capacity. The company is present in 25 states and manages 170,000 kilometres of power lines through eight utilities in New York, Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts, serving a population of 7 million people.
The United States is the company’s main investment focus within its 2024-2026 strategic plan, to which it will allocate 41,000 million euros. Specifically, the country will receive 35% of the investment, some 14,350 million euros.
In addition, Iberdrola is the country’s main offshore wind energy promoter. On 27 March 2024, it submitted numerous proposals for new offshore wind energy in Massachusetts-Rhode Island-Connecticut. The states are expected to announce the selected projects in August 2024.
The company currently has the Vineyard Wind I farm under construction. With 806 MW of capacity, it is the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the country and will supply clean, reliable power to 400,000 homes, which is more than half the size of a city like Boston or the entire island of Palma de Mallorca. In February, the energy company announced the commissioning of the first five wind turbines that will supply wind energy to 30,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts.
