US developers Avangrid Renewables and Primergy Solar have confirmed a sales agreement that clears the way for construction in northern Nevada of two PV projects totalling 780MW capacity with a built-in combined 480MWh battery storage component.

Primergy did not disclose financial details of its acquisition of the 455MW Hot Pot Solar and 325MW Iron Point Solar projects which include 280MW and 200MW of battery storage, respectively.

Under the accord, Avangrid will perform development services for the projects, while Primergy will oversee their detailed design, procurement, financing, construction and place them in service.

“Our vision has always been to develop projects with clean, renewable sources of power to fill the gap left by retiring coal generation,” said Alejandro de Hoz, CEO of Avangrid Renewables. “These projects will contribute substantially to transitioning the Silver State to a low-carbon energy future.”

In 2017, Avangrid, owned 81.5% by Iberdrola and a leading renewables player in the US, identified an opportunity for large-scale solar development in Nevada with the anticipated 2023 closure of the 522MW coal-fired North Valmy Generating Station 50-50 owned by utility NV Energy and Idaho Power.

Both Hot Pot and Iron Point were included in the integrated resource plan (IRP) that NV Energy recently filed with the Nevada Public Utilities Commission. An IRP is a roadmap that large utilities use to plan long-term acquisition and development of generation assets over 20 years or more.

Among other things, NV Energy IRP details the role these projects will play in helping to replace the North Valmy complex.

Primergy Solar is based in Oakland, California, and is a portfolio company of Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners in Houston.

The US solar market flew past the milestone of 100GW of generating plant in the first quarter of this year, adding a record 5GW of new PV as utilities stepped up build-out plans that could see 250GW in operation within five years, according to the latest figures from the Solar Energy Industries Association.