The biggest US solar-storage project yet takes shape in California

The biggest solar-plus-storage project in American history, California, which has long been a leader in the sustainable energy change, is making headlines once more. The Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan (VCIP), a large green energy expansion that might change how the state produces and stores electricity, was approved by the board of the Westlands Water District in California's Central Valley in a historic decision in late 2025.

Across more than 136,000 acres of Central Valley farms, the VIP seeks to construct up to 21 gigawatts (GW) of solar power and an equivalent

21 GW of battery storage. Once constructed, this infrastructure could produce clean electricity on a never-before-seen scale and offer long-term storage to balance grid demand and irregular solar generation.

If completed, this project would significantly outperform almost all current solar-plus-storage projects in the US. The majority of existing facilities, like Terra-Gen's 875 megawatt Edwards & Sanborn plant, measure less than 1 GW of solar output combined with a few gigawatt-hours of

storage.

Maria Gutierrez, Director of Renewable Projects for the Westlands Water District, is one of the leaders leading the Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan. Gutierrez has been promoting renewable energy as a way to reinvigorate California's water-scarce agricultural areas for more than ten years.

In a recent interview, Gutierrez stated, "Converting fallow farmland into clean-energy infrastructure isn't just an economic opportunity."

"It's about helping California achieve its 2035 carbon-free goals, diversifying our local economy, and securing long-term jobs."

The Edwards & Sanborn Solar + Energy Storage Project in Kern County has been finished by Terra-Gen, a significant renewable energy provider. This complex is one of the biggest operational solar-storage facilities in the nation, with 875 MW of solar capacity and more than 3,280 MWh of battery storage.