Clearway Energy Group has successfully closed financing and commenced the construction of its 1,280MWh Honeycomb battery energy storage system (BESS) portfolio in Utah, USA. The Honeycomb portfolio comprises four separate BESS projects, each with 80MW capacity, strategically located adjacent to Clearway’s existing solar energy portfolio. These projects will utilize Tesla Megapacks, providing a 4-hour duration for each system.

The BESS portfolio is backed by a 20-year tolling agreement with Pacificorp, a utility owned by Berkshire Hathaway Energy. This agreement enables Pacificorp to store, manage, and dispatch stored electricity from the Honeycomb projects to its customers, enhancing grid stability and reliability.

The financing for this portfolio, amounting to US$605 million, was arranged by a consortium of financial institutions, including KeyBanc Capital Markets, CoBank ACB, DNB Bank ASA, New York Branch, US Bancorp Impact Finance, National Australia Bank Limited, Bank of America, National Association, and Norddeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale, New York Branch.

Clearway expects the projects to be operational by 2026. The company has partnered with electrical contractor Rosendin for the construction of the portfolio. This construction phase is expected to generate approximately 50 jobs, with 15% of total work hours fulfilled by apprentices.

Currently, Clearway Energy operates a total of three standalone utility-scale BESS projects, with a combined capacity of 460.5MW. These include the 113.5MW Daggett BESS in San Bernardino County, California, the 200MW Pine Forest BESS in Hopkins County, Texas, and the 147MW Rosamund Central BESS in Kern County, California. Additionally, Clearway operates two utility-scale solar-plus-storage projects in Hawaii, totaling 75MW: the 39MW Mililani Solar 1 and the 36MW Waiawa projects.

In November 2024, Clearway withdrew three hybrid solar and storage projects from Hawaiian Electric Co’s latest renewable energy procurement due to ongoing financial challenges faced by the utility. That same month, Clearway signed an Energy Storage Exclusivity Agreement (ESEA) with California CCA utility Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) for a 750MW/3,000MWh standalone BESS project located in Monterey County, California.

Utah, the site of the Honeycomb portfolio, has also seen increased activity in the energy storage and clean energy sectors. In 2024, German and US residential battery storage provider Sonnen partnered with ES Solar to sell over 18MWh of energy storage systems in the state. This was part of the ‘Go Back’ program, enabled by Rocky Mountain Power (RMP), which allows homeowners with solar PV systems to add a grid-interactive smart sonnen battery. Additionally, RMP and technology provider Torus signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore 70MW of demand response capacity using Torus’ energy storage solutions. These initiatives align with Utah’s Operation Gigawatt, an effort introduced by Governor Spencer Cox to increase the state’s energy production and improve its energy infrastructure.

Steve Ryder, Chief Financial Officer of Clearway, commented on the Honeycomb portfolio’s significance:
“Clearway has been operating clean and reliable energy assets in Utah since 2008. We are proud to expand our presence and economic commitment in Utah with the Honeycomb portfolio, which will bring our total fleet in the state to 869MW. The Honeycomb battery energy storage systems represent not only a major investment in grid stability in Utah but also advance Utah’s goal of energy security for the state.”

He further added, “We value our partnerships with our financial partners, PacifiCorp, and the Iron and Beaver County communities for their collective support in bringing reliable, dispatchable power to the region.”

This significant step forward for Clearway will further contribute to Utah’s clean energy goals, positioning the state as a leader in energy innovation and sustainability. The Honeycomb BESS portfolio will enhance the state’s energy infrastructure, allowing for the efficient storage and dispatch of renewable energy resources, making it a critical part of the region's evolving energy landscape.

For more information on the Honeycomb BESS portfolio and Clearway’s broader energy initiatives, visit Clearway Energy or contact Clearway Energy for further inquiries.

Originally reported by April Bonner in Energy Storage News.