Leading independent power producer (IPP) Fullmark Energy’s 20 MW/40 MWh Ortega energy storage project in Lake Elsinore, California is now operational.
The milestone marks the third project in Fullmark Energy’s Redwood Projects portfolio to commence operations. The portfolio is a strategic collection of energy storage facilities across Southern California.
The other two facilities include the 20 MW/80 MWh Johanna ESS project in Santa Ana and the 20 MW/40 MWh Desert-Carris project in Palm Springs, with the former marking one of the early utility-scale battery storage deployments in the state.
A fourth project, a 65 MW/130 MWh San Jacinto facility in Banning, is expected to come online next.
Altogether, the projects represent 125 MW of strategically distributed energy storage capacity in Southern California, reducing single points of failure while strengthening revenue profiles through offtake agreements.
The Ortega project will participate in the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) market where it will provide essential services for the grid, including energy arbitrage, frequency regulation, and resource adequacy.
“The successful completion of Ortega represents more than just another project coming online—it demonstrates our team’s ability to solve the complex challenges that are inherent in energy storage development,” said Chris McKissack, Chief Executive Officer of Fullmark Energy, in a statement. “Each project in our Redwood portfolio has taught us valuable lessons that make us better developers and operators. Ortega specifically showcased how thoughtful development can address environmental concerns while delivering meaningful benefits to the local community.”
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