It will be built on 2,500 acres of Federal land in Riverside County, according to an impact statement, and is expected to require an investment of US$500 million.
The 300MW/1,200MWh is said to be the largest operational BESS in the world, and is also set to have an additional 100MW / 400MWh capacity added by August.
Grid operator the California Independent System Operator said in a statement last week that it hopes to see a fourfold increase of four-hour battery storage capacity by summer 2021.
Public lands have become a new battleground for the US energy transition since President Biden took office and set a target of decarbonising the country’s energy mix by 2035.