How big is Desert Quartzite?

Desert Quartzite has a reported capacity of 450 MW and an energy capacity of 600 MWh. Source: EIA Form 860.

What kind of plant is Desert Quartzite?

Desert Quartzite is a Solar Photovoltaic, Batteries facility in Riverside County, CA, participating in the CAISO market.

Where is Desert Quartzite located?

Desert Quartzite is in Riverside County, CA, inside the CAISO balancing area.

Who operates Desert Quartzite?

Desert Quartzite is operated by Desert Quartzite LLC according to the EIA generator inventory. Reporting membership does not by itself establish ultimate ownership.

How much electricity does Desert Quartzite generate?

Desert Quartzite reported 852.5 GWh over the twelve months to 2026-06. Figures are net generation as filed to EIA-923.

Where does Desert Quartzite connect to the grid?

Desert Quartzite interconnects at Colorado River Substation, on the Southern California Edison Company system.

How does Desert Quartzite compare to other plants?

By capacity, Desert Quartzite ranks #38 of 7,234 operating plants of the same technology nationally. It ranks #6 of 939 in CA.

Desert Quartzite — 450 MW solar farm, Riverside County, CA

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Desert Quartzite — 450 MW solar farm, Riverside County, CA · Ask the Grid

Overview

Generation / storage: 450 MW total / 600 MWh storage
Reported plant capacity and configuration.
Technology: Solar + battery storage
Primary generation technology.
Registry anchor: Plant 59871
Desert Quartzite LLC · Riverside County · CAISO
Storage duration: 4 hours
Battery subsystem rating.
Operating status: Operating
Desert Quartzite is operating.
Grid connection: Colorado River Substation
220 kV · Southern California Edison Company
Equipment: 1,080,000 panels
Installed equipment documented in public project records.
Commercial operation: December 2024
Best-supported operating milestone.

Profile

Grid role: Solar generation paired with four-hour battery storage for shifting solar output to later hours and supporting grid stability.
Grid connection: Colorado River Substation · 220 kV · Southern California Edison Company.
Context: Desert Quartzite is one of California’s largest solar-plus-storage complexes, combining 300 MWac of solar generation with 150 MWac of four-hour battery storage for 450 MW of combined renewable generation and storage on the southern California grid.
Physical build: Operational Desert Quartzite comprises 375 MWdc/300 MWac of solar PV and a 150 MWac, four-hour BESS. The official project development plan specifies 1.08 million individual PV modules, an AC-coupled BESS with 922 containers, and 4.2 MW PV inverter stations; the 1.08-million-module and 922-container figures are plan quantities rather than independently verified as-built schedules.

Structured profile

Reported capacity: 450 MW
Solar Photovoltaic, Batteries
Energy: 600 MWh
4-hour storage duration
Commercial operation: December 2024
Operating status: operating
Desert Quartzite is operating.
Interconnection: Colorado River Substation
220 kV · Southern California Edison Company

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Units and generators

Operating generator records and technology attributes reported through EIA-860.

Generator	Capacity	Technology	Operation	Status
GEN01	300 MW 300 MW summer	Solar Photovoltaic Solar · PV	Dec 2024	Operating
GEN02	150 MW 150 MW summer	Batteries Electricity used for energy storage · BA	Dec 2024	Operating

Performance

Monthly EIA generation history and recent market-resource behavior where linked telemetry is available.

Peer context

Technology capacity: 300 MW; Solar Photovoltaic
National rank: #38; of 7,234 operating peers
CA rank: #6; of 939 operating peers

Monthly generation

Download CSV

Latest 12 months

852.5 GWh

Reported net generation

Latest report

Jun 2026

EIA-923 monthly filing

2025 capacity factor

20.9%

Using current reported nameplate capacity

Grid and market context

Deterministic links to ERCOT market resources, price records, outage disclosures, queue records, and nearby infrastructure. Candidate joins remain labeled until corroborated.

Nearby substations

HIFLD infrastructure inventory

COLORADO RIVER

IN SERVICE · 500 kV

6.2 km

BLYTHE WALC

Commercial, land, and environmental record

Source-backed project transactions, agreements, land records, permits, and environmental disclosures. Portfolio and adjacent-project facts remain explicitly scoped.

Transactions and agreements

PPA Signing

Sep 2, 2021

EDF Renewables North America and Clean Power Alliance signed a 15-year PPA for Desert Quartzite covering 300 MWac solar coupled with 600 MWh BESS.

300 MW contracted15 yearsEDF Renewables North America · Clean Power Alliance

EDF Renewables North America and Clean Power Alliance Sign Power Purchase Agreement for Solar-plus-Storage Project - EDF power solutions North America

Commercial Operation / PPA Delivery Commencement

Dec 2024

Project achieved operational status in December 2024 and began delivering electricity to Clean Power Alliance under 20-year PPA with 300 MWac solar plus 150 MWac/4-hour BESS.

300 MW contracted20 yearsEDF Renewables North America · Power Sustainable Energy Infrastructure Inc. · Clean Power Alliance

EDF Renewables North America and Power Sustainable Energy Infrastructure Announce Commercial Operation of Desert Quartzite - EDF power solutions North America

Land and environmental record

County Environmental Permit

2019

Riverside County CUP 3721; SCH 2015031066; FEIR 00544

County environmental review identifies Conditional Use Permit 3721, State Clearinghouse number 2015031066, and Final Environmental Impact Report 00544 for Desert Quartzite Solar Project.

PLANNIN.G DEPARTMENT

Environmental-Review Acreage

2019

3,770 acres in Riverside County FEIR/CUP proposal

Riverside County FEIR describes proposed 450 MW PV facility and 2.79-mile gen-tie line occupying 3,770 acres. This is planning-record footprint that differs from later reduced-footprint federal authorization (2,827 acres).

PLANNIN.G DEPARTMENT

Operational Environmental Milestone

Dec 2024

Fully operational in December 2024: 300 MW solar (375 MWdc) plus 150 MW/4-hour battery storage

BLM announced facility fully operational and producing energy with 300 MW solar generation and 150 MW/4-hour battery storage. BLM reports March 2022 reduced-footprint right-of-way amendment, January 2023 phased notice to proceed, construction began February 2023.

BLM announces Desert Quartzite Solar is fully operational | Bureau of Land Management

Parcel And Land-Status Record

Aug 20, 2020

160 acres, APN 879-110-001, State Parcel 237-534

California State Lands Commission staff report identifies APN 879-110-001 as approximately 160 acres of state school-lieu land with reserved mineral interest associated with Desert Quartzite LLC. CEQA record describes same application area as privately owned, creating ownership characterization discrepancy.

Staff Report 53

Site Acreage

2020

2,827 acres (post-construction footprint: 2,673 acres BLM land + 154 acres private land)

Federal permitting dashboard describes completed project occupying up to 2,673 acres of BLM land and 154 acres of private land after construction (total 2,827 acres). This represents the authorized footprint after reduced-footprint amendment.

Desert Quartzite Solar | Permitting Dashboard

Related parties and identifiers

Parties, market resources, and identifiers tied to this asset, with owner, operator, developer, EPC, compliance provider, and interconnecting entity roles kept separate.

Relationship graph

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AssetOwner / operatorContractorEquipmentFinancier

Timeline and sources

Project milestones and public references behind the asset profile.

Project timeline

Sep 2, 2021
Sep 2, 2021
Power Purchase AgreementEDF Renewab...
EDF Renewables North America and Clean Power Alliance signed a 15-year PPA for Desert Quartzite covering 300 MWac solar coupled with 600 MWh BESS.
2022

Desert Quartzite