# Blythe Solar III, LLC Hybrid

CAISO Solar Photovoltaic, Batteries · https://askthegrid.com/assets/facilities/blythe-solar-iii-llc-hybrid

Blythe Solar III, LLC Hybrid is a hybrid solar and battery storage facility with 251.8 MW of EIA-reported total operating capacity and 538.6 MWh of reported storage energy capacity in Riverside County, California, registered as EIA Plant ID 60094. Blythe Solar III, LLC owns and operates the plant.

## Key facts

- Technology: Solar Photovoltaic, Batteries
- Power capacity: 251.8 MW
- Energy capacity: 538.6 MWh
- Operating status: operating

## Grid and market context

- ISO/RTO: CAISO
- Balancing authority: CISO
- Substation: Southern California Edison Colorado River Substation
- Point of interconnection: Southern California Edison Colorado River Substation
- Transmission owner: Southern California Edison
- Interconnection voltage: 230 kV

## Source-backed facts

- Identifiers: [{"value":"60094","system":"EIA plant ID"},{"value":"49168","system":"FERC EIA ID"},{"value":"CISO","system":"EIA balancing authority"},{"value":"CAISO","system":"ISO/RTO power market"},{"value":"BLST3","system":"EIA generator ID (battery)"},{"value":"09-AFC-06C","system":"California Energy Commission docket"}] — Source · confidence: medium
- Canonical name: Blythe Solar III, LLC Hybrid — MBR | Index · confidence: high
- Identifiers.5: {"value":"09-AFC-06C","system":"California Energy Commission docket"} — Source · confidence: high
- Equipment models: [] — DOCKETED · confidence: low
- Equipment models: [] — DOCKETED · confidence: low
- Description: Blythe Solar III, LLC Hybrid is an operational solar-and-battery power plant in Riverside County, California, with two operational generators totaling 251.8 MW and participation in the CAISO market under the CISO balancing authority. It is operated by Blythe Solar III, LLC. The CEC approved transfer of Unit 3 ownership from NextEra Blythe Solar Energy Center, LLC to Blythe Solar III, LLC on April 15, 2020. The modified photovoltaic project began construction in March 2015, and Unit 3 entered operation in 2020; the associated Blythe III storage asset was listed as in service in 2021. — NextEra Energy Generation Portfolio_12312022.xlsx · confidence: medium
- Financing summary: NextEra's December 31, 2022 generation portfolio lists Blythe Solar III PV as a 2020, 125 MW, 100%-owned facility with DMI financing and Blythe III Energy Storage as a 2021, 115 MW, 100%-owned facility also labeled DMI. The portfolio defines DMI as Differential Membership Interest and states that, for solar, it represents a traditional solar ITC tax-equity structure. No financing amount, lender, named tax-equity counterparty, sale consideration, or portfolio transaction value is disclosed in the cited records; the April 2020 event is documented as an ownership transfer rather than a priced sale. — NextEra Energy Generation Portfolio_12312022.xlsx · confidence: medium
- Financing summary: NextEra's December 31, 2022 generation portfolio lists Blythe Solar III PV as a 2020, 125 MW, 100%-owned facility with DMI financing and Blythe III Energy Storage as a 2021, 115 MW, 100%-owned facility also labeled DMI. The portfolio defines DMI as Differential Membership Interest and states that, for solar, it represents a traditional solar ITC tax-equity structure. No financing amount, lender, named tax-equity counterparty, sale consideration, or portfolio transaction value is disclosed in the cited records; the April 2020 event is documented as an ownership transfer rather than a priced sale. — Statement of Staff Approval Petition for Change of Ownership · confidence: medium
- Timeline.6: {"event":"Unit 3 entered operation","date":"2020-05-28","detail":"The CEC's detailed project description reports Unit 3 becoming operational on May 28, 2020."} — NextEra Energy Generation Portfolio_12312022.xlsx · confidence: medium
- Timeline.7: {"event":"Battery storage entered service","date":"2021","detail":"NextEra's generation portfolio lists Blythe III Energy Storage as a 115 MW, 100%-owned asset in service in 2021; government plant data also identifies the exact EIA plant 60094 battery generator as 115 MW with a 2021 completion year."} — NextEra Energy Generation Portfolio_12312022.xlsx · confidence: medium
- Commercial parties.4: {"relationship":"Original project owner and bankrupt predecessor group","name":"Solar Trust of America","detail":"The CEC's later Unit 3 transfer filing describes Solar Trust of America as the original project owner and states that it filed for bankruptcy before NextEra Blythe Solar Energy Center, LLC acquired the project.","official_url":null} — Petition For Ownership Transfer BSPP Units 3 and 4 · confidence: medium
- Quality notes.1: The EIA plant record reports 251.8 MW across two generators, while NextEra's 2022 portfolio separately lists Blythe Solar III PV at 125 MW and Blythe III Energy Storage at 115 MW; those corporate portfolio figures are not substituted for the EIA total. — NextEra Energy Generation Portfolio_12312022.xlsx · confidence: high
- Quality notes.2: The cited records document regulatory ownership transfers and DMI financing classifications, but disclose no sale consideration, portfolio transaction value, financing amount, lender, or named tax-equity counterparty for this exact plant. No retirement or repowering event is identified through August 2, 2026. — NextEra Energy Generation Portfolio_12312022.xlsx · confidence: medium
- Substation: Southern California Edison Colorado River Substation — Blythe Solar Power Project | California Energy Commission · confidence: medium
- Transmission owner: Southern California Edison — Blythe Solar Power Project | California Energy Commission · confidence: medium

## Timeline

- 2010-09-15 — Original project certification
  The CEC approved the original Blythe Solar Power Project proposal.
  Source: Blythe Solar Power Project | California Energy Commission (https://www.energy.ca.gov/powerplant/pv/blythe-solar-power-project)
- 2014-01 — Modified photovoltaic project approved
  The CEC approved the modified project converting the original solar-thermal proposal into a four-unit photovoltaic facility.
  Source: Blythe Solar Power Project | California Energy Commission (https://www.energy.ca.gov/powerplant/pv/blythe-solar-power-project)
- 2015-03 — Construction began
  Construction of the modified photovoltaic project began.
  Source: Blythe Solar Power Project | California Energy Commission (https://www.energy.ca.gov/powerplant/pv/blythe-solar-power-project)
- 2020-05-28 — Unit 3 entered operation
  The CEC's detailed project description reports Unit 3 becoming operational on May 28, 2020.
  Source: Blythe Solar Power Project | California Energy Commission (https://www.energy.ca.gov/powerplant/pv/blythe-solar-power-project)

## Sources

- [EIA - MBR | Index - FERC](https://mbrweb.ferc.gov/SearchlkpEIA/Index?page=688) — mbrweb.ferc.gov · tier regulatory
- [Statement of Staff Approval Petition for Change of Ownership](https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/GetDocument.aspx?tn=232875&DocumentContentId=65311) — efiling.energy.ca.gov · tier regulatory
- [Blythe Solar Power Project | California Energy Commission](https://www.energy.ca.gov/powerplant/pv/blythe-solar-power-project) — energy.ca.gov · tier regulatory
- [NextEra Energy Resources | Fox Solar | FAQ](https://www.nexteraenergyresources.com/fox-solar/faq.html) — nexteraenergyresources.com · tier other
- [Series 6 Family](https://www.firstsolar.com/en/Products/Series-6) — firstsolar.com · tier other
- [DOCKETED](https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/GetDocument.aspx?tn=200943&DocumentContentId=3829) — efiling.energy.ca.gov · tier regulatory
- [DOCKETED](https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/GetDocument.aspx?tn=200108&DocumentContentId=3809) — efiling.energy.ca.gov · tier regulatory
- [NextEra Energy Resources | Roadhouse Storage | FAQ](https://www.nexteraenergyresources.com/roadhouse-storage/faq.html) — nexteraenergyresources.com · tier other
- [NextEra Energy Generation Portfolio_12312022.xlsx](https://www.investor.nexteraenergy.com/~/media/Files/N/NEE-IR/NEE%20Generation%20Portfolio_12312022.pdf) — investor.nexteraenergy.com · tier other
- [Petition For Ownership Transfer BSPP Units 3 and 4](https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/GetDocument.aspx?tn=232743&DocumentContentId=64816) — efiling.energy.ca.gov · tier regulatory

## Data quality

- The CEC page contains conflicting Unit 3 dates: its summary states March 28, 2020, while the detailed project description states May 28, 2020; the detailed date is used in the timeline. The EIA plant record reports 251.8 MW across two generators, while NextEra's 2022 portfolio separately lists Blythe Solar III PV at 125 MW and Blythe III Energy Storage at 115 MW; those corporate portfolio figures are not substituted for the EIA total. The cited records document regulatory ownership transfers and DMI financing classifications, but disclose no sale consideration, portfolio transaction value, financing amount, lender, or named tax-equity counterparty for this exact plant. No retirement or repowering event is identified through August 2, 2026.

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