Longroad Energy hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate its $2 billion solar + storage Sun Steams Complex in Maricopa County, Arizona.
More than 200 people attended the April 24 event, including Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) Commissioner Lea Marquez Peterson, and executives from Arizona Public Service (APS), Longroad Energy, McCarthy Building Cos., and U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance.
The occasion celebrated the progress made so far on the more than 6,000-acre solar + storage complex and the benefits being delivered to Arizona. The Longroad Sun Streams Complex is comprised of three projects that total 862 MWdc (665 MWac) of solar and 515 MWac / 2,060 MWh storage. The project also is supporting 1,000 construction jobs and providing more than $300 million in benefits to Arizona schools and communities through its long-term leases with the Arizona State Land Department and tax remittances.
“The Longroad Sun Streams Complex is a powerful example of how responsible land stewardship, and the ambitious expansion of renewable energy infrastructure delivers a wealth of benefits to Arizona citizens,” said Hobbs. “Revenues of $300 million generated through land leases and taxes are directly benefitting Arizona schools and communities. The Sun Streams projects will provide a clean energy source to support grid reliability and help ensure Arizona citizens stay cool on the hottest summer days. Additionally, Sun Streams is generating family-sustaining construction jobs, and supporting a skilled work force in the clean energy sector that is helping to position our state as a hub for innovation and sustainability.”
The total output of the two largest projects in the Complex, Sun Streams 3 and Sun Streams 4, has been purchased by APS via long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). The projects will help support system reliability in Arizona, particularly during the peak demand summer months.
McCarthy, whose Renewable Energy team is based in Phoenix, has been the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the three projects in the Longroad Sun Streams Complex.
“The impact that Longroad’s Sun Streams Complex is having on our state is significant,” said Scott Canada, executive VP of McCarthy’s Renewable Energy team. “Longroad’s investment in Arizona’s energy infrastructure goes beyond providing power for Arizona residents and businesses. They are helping to create more jobs in the state’s growing energy sector and supporting Arizona families today and into the future. It’s an honor to partner with Longroad, and to be part of the positive impact that this energy complex is having on Arizona.”
Impact Finance has been the sole tax equity investor for the two largest Sun Streams projects.
Project details
The Longroad Sun Streams Complex is currently comprised of three projects. When complete, the Complex could be expanded to include more than 950 MWdc of solar and 600 MWac / 2,500 MWh of storage.
- Sun Streams 2 – 200 MWdc solar project. Operational since mid-2021.
- Sun Streams 3 – 285 MWdc solar and 215 MWac / 860 MWh storage project. Commercial operations in 2024.
- Sun Streams 4 – 377 MWdc solar and 300 MWac / 1,200 MWh storage project. Sun Streams 4 is Longroad’s largest project to date. It reached its peak construction milestone in 2024 with commercial operations expected by mid-2025.
All three projects use responsibly produced modules from Arizona-headquartered First Solar and trackers from Nextracker. The battery energy storage systems (BESS) at both Sun Streams 3 and 4 are provided by Powin. Comprehensive operations and maintenance services for Longroad’s three projects will be provided by Arizona-based Novasource.
The Sun Streams 3 battery yard, which is nearing completion, spans more than 15 acres. Approximately 1 million battery cells are being installed.
— Solar Builder magazine
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