Overview
- ContourGlobal began on-site construction of Project Sterling in early October, moving the 509 MWp solar and 360 MW / 1.4 GWh battery project from planning into active build with commercial completion targeted for 2028.
- The hybrid site will cover more than 2,000 acres and use over 760,000 solar panels plus more than 300 battery containers that employ LFP cells with liquid cooling and integrated fire protection.
- About 90% of the plant’s expected annual output—roughly 1 terawatt-hour per year—will be sold to Tesla under a long-term power purchase agreement that includes associated renewable energy certificates.
- ContourGlobal has private construction financing in place including an equity bridge loan from an international bank syndicate and is building site infrastructure such as a new 5.2-mile access road, with roughly 400 construction jobs expected.
- Sterling will connect to the Western interconnection with support from the Western Area Power Administration and transmission rights into CAISO, positioning the plant to export power to California and bolster regional grid reliability as Arizona’s solar capacity grows.