Mortenson Transforms Decommissioned Gas Fuel Plant into Nova Power Bank Energy Storage Facility for Calpine Corporation
Mortenson this week announced the completion of the first four phases of Calpine Corporation’s Nova Power Bank energy storage project in Menifee, California.
The initial 620 megawatt / 2,480 megawatt-hour project, one of the largest standalone storage projects in the industry, was built on the site of a decommissioned power plant that was fueled by natural gas. Mortenson was the Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) contractor for the energy storage project and the high voltage infrastructure needed to connect it to the grid.
A fifth expansion phase with an additional 60 MW / 240 megawatt-hours is under construction and will be completed in 2025.
We are excited to help Calpine build a facility that will provide instantaneous, flexible power and grid reliability for the people of California. Repurposing existing assets comes with design and construction challenges but is a responsible and effective way to bring energy storage to those that can benefit from it the most.
Previously known as the Inland Empire Energy Center, the natural gas-fired generators were decommissioned and removed so the site could be transformed into the energy storage project. Major portions of the existing facility, including foundations, structures, and electrical infrastructure are contributing to a highly sustainable transformation which will better serve the state’s peak power demand.
We appreciate the hard work and dedication of Mortenson and the larger construction team on Nova Power Bank. This project adds an important resource to California’s power grid and will help improve reliability. We are grateful for the confidence that our customers have in our ability to bring this critical project online and for the outstanding working partnership we have built with the City and community of Menifee.
The site uses more than 1000 BYD Cube Pro battery enclosures connected to Southern California Edison through three 500kV substations on site. At peak, more than 200 union craftworkers worked on site. The project performed multiple community engagement activities throughout the life of the project, including donations to multiple local charities.
The Nova Power Bank project will help strengthen regional grid reliability by ensuring power is available when customer demand is at its highest. This project not only improves the current site with updated facilities and landscaping, but also creates new local jobs and provides significant financial benefits for our community.