Fresno County

Fresno County partnered with ForeFront Power to develop a solar energy portfolio that includes a 3.8 MW solar energy system next to the County’s Juvenile Justice Campus. Made up of nearly 9,000 panels, the Juvenile Justice Campus ground-mount solar array is the largest public-sector solar system in Fresno County and is expected to cover 80% of the Juvenile Justice Center’s annual electrical demand.

The County decided to pursue solar energy based on its desire to contribute to the State of California’s sustainability goals, save on electricity costs, and counter rising utility costs. “In a time of inflation, everything except for the county’s solar energy at the moment is costing more tomorrow than it did yesterday,” said Brian Taylor, ForeFront Power’s Director of the Public Sector. “The project’s fixed rate actually protects the county’s budget from utility rate hikes for the next two decades.”

By partnering with ForeFront Power, Fresno County was able to successfully procure its solar energy portfolio at no upfront cost through a Power Purchase Agreement. The county is expected to save upward of $17 million over the course of the 20-year agreement with over $650,000 in savings in the first year alone.

Now that the project is complete, it will generate 7,496,000 kWh of clean, renewable electricity annually, helping the County avoid 5,312 metric tons of CO2 emissions each year, which is equal to the carbon sequestered by 6,508 acres of forest the electricity consumption of 965 nearby homes.

In March 2022, ForeFront Power joined Fresno County to host a “flip-switch” ribbon-cutting ceremony for dignitaries, members of the community, and the project team to celebrate the completion of the project. The event was covered by ABC30 Fresno which featured highlights of the ceremony on its broadcast network.