Dimension Energy has completed a major community solar project in Inyokern, California: a 44-megawatt (MW) solar farm, now the largest third-party-owned community solar project in the United States. The project will provide clean energy to residential and commercial customers in Southern California Edison’s service territory.
Expanding Community Solar Access
The new Inyokern community solar project will benefit more than 2,000 households, municipal facilities, and corporate entities, generating an estimated $18 million in energy savings for its subscribers. Notable participants include the Redwood Family Care Network, the cities of Long Beach and Corona, AT&T, and Crown Castle.
Despite California’s historical struggles with implementing a scalable community solar program, Dimension navigated policy challenges to secure over $100 million in project capital, with financing finalized at the end of 2023. Key investors include Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank, National Bank of Canada, Comerica, and NT Solar.
According to Sam Younes, co-founder and chief development officer, Dimension Energy faced significant regulatory hurdles while developing the project. The company ultimately leveraged California’s Green Tariff Enhanced Community Renewables program, which has otherwise seen limited success.
“We turned a struggling utility-scale site into the largest community solar project in the country despite tremendous policy hurdles in the state by taking advantage of the niche Green Tariff Enhanced Community Renewables program. Aside from our Inyokern project, this program has been essentially non-functional,” Younes said.
Environmental and Economic Benefits
The Inyokern solar farm is projected to prevent over 21,600 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually—a reduction equivalent to removing more than 4,700 cars from the road each year. Dimension hopes similar projects will eventually replace polluting peaker plants in historically impacted communities.
Local governments and corporate partners are also benefiting from this initiative. The cities of Long Beach and Corona supported the project to highlight the importance of community solar access, while AT&T and Crown Castle will use the solar power to advance their renewable energy commitments.
Industry Leaders Support Community Solar
Dimension Energy plans to continue expanding its community solar portfolio. Building on the more than 600 MW of projects it has developed since 2018, the company intends to invest over $3 billion in the next five years, with a goal of having 800 MW in operation by the end of 2025.
Community solar is gaining traction across the United States as more households and businesses seek clean energy options. The Inyokern project demonstrates the potential for such large-scale developments to deliver significant economic and environmental benefits.
The project’s financial success was made possible through strong industry partnerships, a point emphasized by Patrick Schaufelberger, Senior Vice President of Project Finance at Dimension.
“We’re grateful to our industry-leading financial partners for their commitment to community solar and their trust in our ability to execute this unparalleled project. Inyokern is a unique project that required thoughtful underwriting that our fantastic partners were able to deliver on,” Patrick said.
Sayoji Goli, a managing director for Silicon Valley Bank, praised the initiative. “This landmark project creates a renewable energy source for thousands of households. We are excited to continue supporting Dimension in expanding access to clean energy.”