Burbank Forges Ahead with Ambitious Renewable Energy Initiatives

Burbank, California, is making significant strides in its commitment to a greener future, actively pursuing renewable energy projects to meet ambitious state mandates and its own zero-carbon goals. Through strategic partnerships and direct agreements, Burbank is investing in large-scale solar and battery storage systems, aiming for a zero-carbon energy supply by 2040, five years ahead of California's statewide mandate.

Local Power: The Burbank Solar + Battery System at Hollywood Burbank Airport

A cornerstone of Burbank's local renewable energy strategy is the Burbank Solar + Battery System currently under construction at the Regional Intermodal Transportation Center (RITC), in collaboration with the Hollywood Burbank Airport. This project, which broke ground on July 31, 2025, will be Burbank's largest solar system.

Key details of this initiative include:

• System Size: A 2.4 megawatt (MW) solar system will be installed on the 174,000 square feet (4-acres) of rooftop space at the RITC parking lot.
• Technology: It will utilize 4,260 American-made solar panels and be connected to a 4-hour lithium-ion battery storage system.
• Benefits: The integrated battery storage is crucial for overcoming the limitation of solar power to daylight hours. It will store excess energy for discharge during peak usage, helping to prevent power outages within the Burbank community. Mandip Samra, General Manager of Burbank Water and Power (BWP), highlighted the importance of having this resource locally, noting that connecting to zero-carbon energy generated outside Burbank typically requires building transmission lines, a process that averages 10 years.
• Timeline: The project is expected to be completed by December 2025.
• Maintenance Agreement: BWP is directly negotiating and executing a 20-year system long-term services agreement (LTSA) with Tesla, Inc., for preventative maintenance of the battery energy storage system. By taking on this agreement directly instead of through the design-build contractor (Baker Electric and Renewables, LLC), BWP anticipates a cost saving of approximately 15%, or $42,300, over the contract's duration. The total estimated cost of this LTSA is $324,520 over 20 years, with annual costs starting at $14,250 and increasing by 2% each subsequent year.

Expanding Reach: Investment in Milford Solar Phase II

Beyond local installations, Burbank is also investing in utility-scale renewable energy projects through regional partnerships. The Milford Solar Phase II project is a significant undertaking in Beaver County, Utah, developed by Milford Solar Phase II, LLC.

Burbank's involvement in this project is through the Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA), a joint powers agency, alongside the City of Glendale and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP).

• Project Scale and Burbank's Share: The Milford Solar Phase II facility is a 300 MW-ac photovoltaic solar generation project. Burbank's share of this project is 13.3%, equivalent to 40 MW.
• Energy Purchase: BWP will enter into a Power Sales Agreement (PSA) with SCPPA to purchase its entitlement share of energy, capacity rights, and associated environmental attributes from the project for 30 years.
• Financial Commitment: The total cost for Burbank for this contract is estimated at $112 million over 30 years, averaging approximately $3.8 million annually, which will be included in the BWP budget starting Fiscal Year 2027-2028.
• Operational Timelines: The Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) between SCPPA and Milford Solar Phase II, LLC, was executed on January 30, 2025. The target Commercial Operations Date (COD) for the project is December 31, 2026, with a guaranteed COD of December 31, 2027. The project is expected to contribute to California's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) compliance starting in 2028.
• Compliance and Benefits: This project is vital for Burbank to meet California's SB 100 mandate of 60% renewable energy by 2030 and contribute to its own zero-carbon goal by 2040. The energy delivered from Milford Solar Phase II will qualify as "portfolio content category 1" eligible renewable resources, meaning it is directly scheduled and bundled with its associated renewable energy credits (RECs). BWP's share is expected to generate approximately 99,000 MWh of energy and RECs annually. Securing this contract helps Burbank avoid potential non-compliance penalties, which could exceed $160 million by 2030.
• Challenges Addressed: This acquisition comes at a time when supply chain issues, a lack of available projects, and transmission constraints are driving up prices for proposed contracts, making timely procurements crucial to avoid future higher costs and delays.