EDF Power Solutions and Masdar Sign 15-Year PPAs with Southern California Edison for BigBeau Solar and Storage Project

EDF Power Solutions North America and Masdar have entered into 15-year power purchase agreements with Southern California Edison covering the output from the 128 megawatt BigBeau solar plant and its 40 megawatt, 160 megawatt hour battery energy storage system in Kern County, California. The BigBeau project has been operational since December 2022 and began delivering electricity under the new long-term agreements on 1 February 2026, providing SCE with contracted clean energy and storage capacity to support California's ambitious renewable energy targets. The project is one of seven developments that Masdar and EDF Power Solutions have agreed to develop together in a co-ownership partnership with a combined capacity of 1.1 gigawatts.

 

Project Characteristics and California Market Context

 

The BigBeau solar and storage project combines a utility-scale solar generation capacity of 128 megawatts alternating current with a 40 megawatt, 160 megawatt hour battery energy storage system, providing Southern California Edison with both generation and dispatchable storage capability from a single contracted facility in Kern County. California's location within the CAISO grid means that large solar facilities with co-located storage are particularly valuable for managing the evening demand ramp as solar generation declines, providing grid flexibility that pure solar capacity cannot offer. The 15-year PPA duration provides both parties with the long-term revenue certainty and supply assurance needed to support the investment and planning horizons typical of utility procurement strategies.

Jacqueline de Fresart, Associate Director of Origination and Power Marketing at EDF Power Solutions North America, said the company is very pleased to support Southern California Edison's clean energy goals and provide reliable and efficient energy from the operating BigBeau project. She expressed excitement about the partnership with SCE and said the company looks forward to further opportunities together. Dustin Priemer, Director of Asset Management at Masdar Americas, said the agreement forms part of Masdar's growing United States portfolio reflecting the company's focus on scaling reliable, utility-scale clean power and acknowledged the growing partnership with Southern California Edison and their shared commitment to meeting growing energy demand in California.

 

Read more: Apave Acquires Climate School from AXA Climate to Scale Employee Sustainability Training Across Global Clients

 

The EDF and Masdar Partnership Portfolio

 

The BigBeau project sits within a broader strategic partnership between EDF Power Solutions and Masdar to co-develop seven projects with a combined capacity of 1.1 gigawatts, representing a substantial programme of utility-scale clean energy development across North America. EDF Power Solutions has over 35 years of renewable energy experience and 26 gigawatts of wind, solar and storage projects developed across North America, bringing deep development, construction and operational expertise to the partnership. Masdar has been active in the United States since 2019 and has committed several billion dollars to the market with plans to develop a portfolio of up to 25 gigawatts within the next decade, making the US one of the Abu Dhabi company's most significant international growth markets.

The partnership structure allows both companies to leverage their complementary strengths, with EDF Power Solutions contributing its North American development infrastructure, utility relationships and project execution capability alongside Masdar's capital base, international clean energy credentials and long-term strategic commitment to the US market. The BigBeau PPA with SCE demonstrates how the partnership can convert co-developed operational assets into long-term contracted revenue streams that provide financial stability for both owners. As the remaining six projects in the joint portfolio advance toward commercial operation, each new PPA will further strengthen the commercial foundation of the partnership.

 

Explore OneStop ESG Marketplace: Solar energy

 

Outlook for Solar and Storage Development in California

 

California continues to represent one of the largest and most active markets for utility-scale solar and storage development in the United States, driven by the state's 100 percent clean electricity mandate, strong policy support for battery storage and growing demand from AI data centre expansion in the region. The 15-year PPA structure signed by EDF Power Solutions and Masdar with SCE reflects the current market preference for long-term contracted revenue that can support project financing and provide grid planners with visibility over future clean energy supply. Storage co-location alongside solar is becoming a near-standard requirement in California procurement processes as the grid operator seeks to manage the renewable energy integration challenges associated with high solar penetration.

Whether EDF Power Solutions and Masdar can advance the remaining projects in their joint 1.1 gigawatt portfolio toward similar contracted outcomes will depend on permitting timelines, interconnection queue management and the continued depth of utility and corporate offtaker demand in their target markets. Sustained delivery across the full portfolio would establish the EDF and Masdar co-development partnership as one of the more productive bilateral clean energy development collaborations in the North American market. The convergence of California's clean energy mandates, growing grid-scale storage demand and Masdar's ambition to reach 25 gigawatts of US capacity creates conditions in which the partnership has a substantial runway for continued project development and contracting activity.

 

 

Source: EDF Power Solutions