New Solar Project Powers Up in Tomales, California

MCE and partner Renewable America unveil 1 megawatt solar farm

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. and CONCORD, Calif., April 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- MCE has partnered with Renewable America to bring online another 1 megawatt of solar in Marin County. The 4.5 acre Fallon Two Rock solar farm is MCE's latest local project, generating an estimated 2,300 megawatt hours annually and:

• Powering 400 homes each year, and
• Reducing 19,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions over its lifecycle, equivalent to taking nearly 400 gas-powered vehicles off of the road.

To celebrate this milestone, MCE and Renewable America (RNA) hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the site in Petaluma on Monday, April 15.

"We're thrilled to celebrate Fallon's commercial operation and toast the partnership with MCE at the ribbon-cutting," said Ardeshir Arian, President & CEO of RNA. "Renewable America's motto 'Think Local. Act Local,' drives us to prioritize local projects like Fallon Two Rock that positively impact local communities. This is our first project with MCE, supporting local clean energy generation and committing to fast-tracking progress toward a clean energy future in California."

The Fallon Two Rock project came online in January 2024 as part of MCE's 48 megawatts of local energy generation. The project, financed by Sunwest Bank, represents MCE and RNA's commitment to advancing clean energy solutions and fostering sustainable development in the region. 

RNA Services LLC, a subsidiary of Renewable America, served as the engineering, procurement, and construction partner and will continue its role in operations and maintenance.

The project is also approved for agricultural compatible land use, allowing continued agricultural operations while generating carbon-free electricity. The employment of several local companies for the project's construction, including Sunstall Inc. and Sierra Tree Company, further demonstrates MCE and RNA's commitment to local development.

Fallon Two Rock was built with nearly 4,000 hours of prevailing wage labor. RNA has also committed $20,000 to MCE for local workforce development.

"Clean energy is just one part of the transition to a sustainable future," said Katie Rice, MCE Board Director and County of Marin Supervisor. "The additional funding RNA committed will help MCE grow the clean energy economy, providing training opportunities for local residents to enter the green workforce."

Fallon Two Rock is MCE's sixteenth Feed-In Tariff (FIT) project to come online in the Bay Area. The FIT program incentivizes local renewable energy development and job creation by paying above market rate for renewable energy generation in MCE's service area. The project is a testament to the collaborative efforts of MCE and RNA in advancing renewable energy and supporting the local economy. View MCE's full list of local projects at mcecleanenergy.org/local-projects.

About MCE: MCE is a not-for-profit public agency and the preferred electricity provider for more than 585,000 customer accounts and 1.5 million residents and businesses across Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, and Solano counties. Setting the standard for clean energy in California since 2010, MCE leads with 60-100% renewable power at stable rates, delivering a 1400 MW peak load and significantly reducing greenhouse emissions and reinvesting millions in local programs. For more information about MCE, visit mceCleanEnergy.org, or follow us on your preferred social platform @mceCleanEnergy.

About Renewable America: Renewable America is a leading provider of distributed energy resources, serving communities with small utility-scale, locally generated solar plus storage facilities and community microgrids that work in conjunction with the distribution grid. With over 15 years of experience in development, engineering, procurement and construction throughout Europe and North America, Renewable America creates resilience within communities by delivering local power to local load. The company's end-to-end development process maximizes quality and efficiency while minimizing lasting environmental impact on site. Based in Santa Clara, Renewable America has over 320 megawatts MW of solar and 680 MWh of energy storage projects under development throughout California. Learn more at https://renewam.com.

Press Contacts:
Jenna Tenney | Manager of Communications and
Community Engagement, MCE
(925) 378-6747 | [email protected]

Richele Delapaz, Renewable America
(408) 663-6647 | [email protected]

SOURCE Renewable America