Puget Sound Energy launches two clean energy projects

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) is rolling out two new clean energy projects in Washington state.

The first is the development of a utility-scale solar facility known as Appaloosa Solar Project, which will be built within the existing PSE Lower Snake River Wind Facility footprint in Garfield County. The project will be capable of generating 142 MW of clean energy, enough to power more than 30,000 homes.

The Appaloosa Solar Project will contribute 4 percent toward PSE’s 2030 clean energy targets and help meet peak demand during the summer.

“We’re excited to bring clean, reliable utility-scale solar energy to our customers, especially during peak summer months when cooling demand is high,” said Ron Roberts, PSE Senior Vice President of Energy Resources. “This project demonstrates our commitment to a low-carbon future and advances our efforts to meet Washington state’s ambitious clean energy goals.”

Construction on the Appaloosa Solar Project, done by Qcells USA, will create jobs for approximately 300 workers during construction. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2025 with a commercial operation date expected in December of 2026.

The second project is a power purchase agreement with BrightNight for a battery energy storage system (BESS) known as the Greenwater project.

Battery storage systems are designed to store excess energy generated by wind and solar farms and release it to the grid during periods of high demand. The Greenwater project will be located near Sumner and will make it possible for PSE to serve approximately 70,000 residential customers on cold winter days and 100,000 customers on hot summer days.

“We’re investing in technologies like battery storage that can support a continuous and reliable supply of clean energy to our customers,” Craig Pospisil, PSE vice president of business development and M&A, said. “Battery storage projects like Greenwater help us harness the renewable energy we generate while ensuring the grid remains reliable during extreme temperatures and times of peak demand.”

BrightNight will design and install the facility, using lithium-ion batteries, which are used in mobile phones and electric cars. Energy from the facility will be fed to the White River Substation and then distributed onto the grid as needed. The project is scheduled to be operational by mid-year 2027.

Together, the projects can generate up to 342 MW of energy. Since 2019, PSE has added more than 3,800 MW of renewable energy resources to its resource mix.

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