Commercial operations milestone advances independent power producer strategy

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — July 20, 2026 — Avantus announced that the Aratina 1 project in Kern County, California has achieved commercial operations and is now delivering 200 megawatts (MW) of solar and 500 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy storage to the California grid.

Avantus plans to maintain a controlling stake in Aratina 1 and operate the project, the first of several assets as Avantus expands from developer to independent power producer (IPP). The project has long-term power purchase agreements with two community choice aggregators (CCAs) — Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) and Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) — for the full output of the project, enough to power more than 105,000 California homes annually.

“Aratina 1 coming online marks a major milestone for Avantus as an independent power producer, providing reliable clean power to California communities for decades to come,” said Cliff Graham, CEO of Avantus. “I'm incredibly proud of what Team Avantus built here. Their expertise across development, construction, financing and operations, and the trust our financing and CCA partners have placed in us, are the foundation we're building our long-term IPP model on.”

“The Aratina project is a powerful example of how community choice energy turns climate goals into real projects on the ground. Our long term commitment to 120 MW from this facility will deliver clean, affordable power to our customers while supporting California’s transition away from fossil fuels,” said Robert Shaw, CEO of Central Coast Community Energy. “We’re grateful to partner with Avantus on a project that strengthens grid reliability and invests in the Central Coast’s clean energy future.”

“The clean power generated from the Aratina project gets us one step closer to our climate goals. New projects like this are critical in increasing state-wide clean capacity and reliability as we reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and move towards an all-electric future,” said Monica Padilla, CEO of Silicon Valley Clean Energy.

Financing of more than $500 million for Aratina 1 was provided by a consortium of four lenders led by Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Truist Securities, ING Capital, and Mizuho. The project also secured a $300 million tax equity commitment from Truist Bank.

The project created approximately 500 jobs at peak construction and will create local operations roles throughout its operating life.

Avantus is committed to long-term ownership and community partnerships. Early this year, Avantus launched the Boron Community Partnership Panel, a community-led group of local organizations and residents. The panel provides an ongoing forum for dialogue with the local community and helps guide the project’s local investments, with a focus on community-building opportunities that support youth, education, civic, and cultural initiatives.

Aratina 2, the second phase of the Aratina Solar Center, located adjacent to Aratina 1, is currently under construction. Aratina 2 recently closed more than $525 million in financing and is targeting commercial operations before the end of the year. Once complete, the Aratina Solar Center will represent a combined 350 MW of solar and 952 MWh of energy storage, helping California meet growing energy demand with reliable, dispatchable power.