Tesla, the US-based electric vehicle and clean energy company, has signed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with ContourGlobal, an independent power producer (IPP), for the Sterling hybrid solar and battery storage project in Arizona. The agreement covers about 1 TWh of electricity annually, equivalent to around 90% of the project's expected annual output of over 1.1 TWh. Project Sterling combines 509 MW DC/450 MW AC (509 MWp) of solar PV with a 360 MW/1.4 GWh battery energy storage system (BESS) capacity. The project is scheduled to begin on-site construction in 2026 and target commercial operation in 2028, becoming ContourGlobal's largest renewable asset. The company says its agreement with Tesla is one of the largest solar-plus-battery storage corporate PPAs ever signed from a single plant in the US.
Tesla has signed a long-term PPA with renewable energy developer Zelestra for the full output of the 140 MW AC Lumen Farm solar project in northeast Texas. The project is expected to begin construction in 2027 and become fully operational in 2029. The agreement expands the companies' existing relationship following a 57 MW AC solar PPA in Spain signed in 2024. Zelestra said the Texas project will help meet Tesla's growing energy demand in the state.
Separately, Zelestra recently secured $181 million in green project financing for its 176 MW DC Skull Creek Solar Plant in Texas. The project is backed by a long-term PPA with Meta. It arranged the facility with Natixis Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB). The project is scheduled to come online by the end of 2027.
EDP Renewables (EDPR), the renewable energy arm of Portugal-based EDP, has agreed to sell an 80% common equity stake in a 384 MW solar and battery energy storage portfolio in California. It will sell the portfolio to a fund managed by Ares Infrastructure Equity. The portfolio comprises 200 MW of solar PV and 184 MW of battery energy storage, with the solar capacity backed by a 20-year PPA and the storage assets under a 20-year capacity tolling agreement. The transaction implies an enterprise value of about $0.8 billion for the portfolio at the start of operations. EDPR expects to receive around $450 million from the sale, with half payable at financial close and the remainder upon commercial operation. The project reached final investment decision in August 2025 and forms part of EDPR's asset rotation strategy while supporting growing electricity demand in California, the company says.
Global renewable energy developer Lightsource bp and technology company Meta have signed a long-term PPA for the 172 MW DC/150 MW AC Mowata Solar project in Acadia Parish, Louisiana. Construction on site is scheduled to begin later this year, with the project expected to create 250-350 construction jobs and add new renewable generation to the local grid. The agreement expands the companies' existing partnership following Meta's 2022 PPA for Lightsource bp's 134 MW DC/ 107 MW AC Arche Solar project in Ohio. Lightsource bp said it will invest $237 million in the Louisiana project.
US-based construction technology startup Gritt has emerged from stealth with $32.4 million in pre-seed and Series A funding to develop AI-powered robotic systems for infrastructure construction. The funding includes a $26 million Series A led by Obvious Ventures, with participation from Union Square Ventures, Active Impact Investments, First Round Capital, Congruent Ventures, Climactic, and VSC Ventures. Gritt said its ‘physical AI’ systems are designed to retrofit existing heavy equipment such as skid steers and forklifts with autonomous capabilities to automate labor-intensive tasks, starting with utility-scale solar projects before expanding to broader infrastructure sectors. The company said it is already deploying its first commercial systems on active job sites.
