FRESNO -- The City of Fresno Department of Public Utilities (DPU) conducted a ground-breaking ceremony today for the development of its on-site solar energy and battery storage portfolio, which is now taking shape at three energy-intensive sites – the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility, the Northeast Surface Water Treatment Facility, and the Southeast Surface Water Treatment Facility. DPU's 27 megawatt-DC (MW-DC) "behind-the-meter" portfolio is being developed in partnership with ForeFront Power, a leading developer of solar energy and battery storage projects in the U.S. and Mexico, and the projects will be constructed by local union labor from the IBEW Local 100.
The DPU projects are part of the City of Fresno's comprehensive plan to lower its energy costs, bolster environmental resiliency, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At a time of rising electricity costs, these DPU projects will save the City an expected $100 million in taxpayer dollars by 2045. Development of the City's solar and storage portfolio has created 192 local jobs, with the three DPU sites contributing 120 of these local jobs.