In the Mojave Desert area of California, about two hours north of Los Angeles, one of the nation’s largest solar and battery storage projects is helping to meet surging demand for renewable power — including from data center operators seeking to limit their carbon footprint.
The Bellefield project will eventually occupy 7,500 acres of privately owned land. The first phase of the project was completed in 2025, adding 500 megawatts of solar and 2,000 megawatt-hours of battery storage. The second phase is currently under construction and will double its capacity. In total, it will deliver enough power to serve over 450,000 homes — and both Southern California Edison and Amazon Energy have signed on with long-term contracts.
AES Clean Energy is the company behind the project — a leading energy provider, bringing renewable solutions for commercial and industrial customers. The company operates within the AES Corporation, with a total of 7.2 gigawatts in its portfolio. It develops, owns and operates over 550 wind, solar and battery storage facilities.
“As demand grows for data centers and artificial intelligence, we deliver reliable, affordable and sustainable solutions,” said James Marshall, chief financial officer of AES Clean Energy.
CoBank knows our platform, and they understand renewables. That matters.
To help finance Bellefield, AES Clean Energy partnered with multiple financial institutions, including CoBank.
“Our relationship with CoBank goes back several years. They have participated in various projects with us, and we knew they were the right fit for the project,” Marshall said. “CoBank knows our platform, and they understand renewables. That matters.”
CoBank committed $75 million for the first phase of the project and an additional $100 million for Bellefield 2. In total, the second phase required $1.7 billion in credit facilities to fund the construction and operation of the project.
"CoBank understands the risks of our business, and they just dig in — providing core financing, credit capacity and hedging,” Marshall said.
Phase 2 of Bellefield is projected to be complete in 2026 and has been instrumental in the local economy — adding approximately 1,000 union jobs. Once operational, it will also shift solar generation to peak demand periods — from midday to evening and early morning peak load periods — supporting Amazon’s environmental goals and Southern California Edison’s grid requirements.
“Our partnerships with our customers and stakeholders have been crucial as we continue to off er the best renewable energy solutions possible while embracing new technology to expand. We’re grateful for partners like CoBank who understand our industry and our mission,” Marshall said.