Renewable America, a leading provider of distributed energy resources, local small utility-scale solar+storage, and community microgrids in California, announces that it has achieved Commercial Operation for its West Tambo Clean Power II (WEST-II) site. This 8.5-acre, 2.93 megawatt (MWdc) solar project, located in Livingston, California, is situated in a community designated as both disadvantaged (DAC) and low-income (LIC). WEST-II will provide clean, renewable energy to San Jose, California. The site will generate enough electricity to power 800 homes annually, offsetting approximately 48,000 tons of CO2 emissions over its lifetime.

"The WEST-II site combines environmentally Disadvantaged and Low-Income Communities in one project, creating a powerful cycle of shared benefits—jobs, cleaner air, and economic growth for one, while delivering affordable renewable power to the other," says Ardi Arian, President & CEO of Renewable America. "We also celebrate several important milestones with this development, such as a promising new collaboration with San Jose Clean Energy, a successful union labor contract, and expanded access to solar for underrepresented populations."

A key aspect of WEST-II's development was its integration of the local union labor hall, ensuring that the project supported workers within the region, especially those enrolled in apprenticeship training programs. Additionally, the project was awarded a 20% Investment Tax Credits (ITC) under the U.S. Department of Energy's Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program for selling its electricity to low-income households.

Renewable America led the development of WEST-II, performing end-to-end project development with in-house resources, including parcel scouting, lease negotiations, engineering, permitting, design, and origination. With a licensed C-10 and general B construction arm self-performing a significant portion of the work, the project was built with greater efficiency, quality control, and coordination across all phases of development and construction.

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