Regardless of site location and diverse climate, the Dandan site aims to support the island’s energy needs and reduce the need for alternative energy-sourced imports. In 2021, the number of imported goods and services was over 50%, with refined petroleum as the number one import. This is because Guam has no reserves or production of petroleum, and there are no crude oil reserves or refineries to meet the island’s energy needs, which is an average of 12 thousand barrels/day. The Dandan solar farm is critical to diversifying Guam’s energy mix and moving away from climate-polluting fossil fuels. To add support, the Guam Power Authority (GPA) formalized the Clean Energy Master Plan (CEMP), a comprehensive plan for transitioning Guam from legacy fossil-fired generation to renewable energy and a nongreenhouse gas emissions electric energy supply. Additionally, GPA has committed to providing 50% of the island’s electric power from renewable or non-greenhouse gas emissions sources by 2030 and 100% by 2040.

The U.S. territory of Guam is in the western Pacific Ocean, with a diverse topography characterized by volcanic origins and limestone plateaus. Guam’s central region consists mainly of rolling hills and valleys, while rugged mountains near the coast mark the southern part of the island. The Dandan site is located between the Talo’fo’fo’ and Tinago Falls, utilizing over 150 acres for the solar installation. Because of the island’s vast tropical terrain and remote location, there is a need for qualified operations and maintenance technicians, but not many are within close enough distance to service equipment promptly. It can also be challenging to ship parts to the island, which causes long lead times and high costs.  

Guam is also known for its tropical rainforest climate, with consistently warm temperatures, high humidity, and a rainy season from July to November. Due to the island’s climate, the Dandan site experiences a high moisture level year-round, which can compromise hardware quicker, and the humidity can impact key inverter components. Additionally, this wet climate can create more severe weather events and increase the likelihood of corrosion of hardware. Therefore, the site must be monitored 24/7 to ensure it is properly maintained and preventative measures are in place to reduce operation issues and minimize long-term damage. The climate and geographical location also cause the island to be susceptible to damaging typhoons. In 2023, Guam experienced a category five typhoon, Mawar, with over 140 mph winds, which created over $100 million in damages to the island’s infrastructure and affected over 170,000 residents. The asset itself did not sustain significant damage and was available to provide a portion of energy due to limited capacity to the island as soon as the grid was restored.  

CleanCapital’s mission is to leverage its deep expertise in solar energy to put more clean, renewable megawatts on the grid. When approached about the Dandan site acquisition, CleanCapital saw it as an opportunity to obtain and operate a meaningful asset that will 1. reduce Guam’s GHG footprint, 2. provide clean and reliable energy to the island’s residents, and 3. provide a strong use case for similar geographic areas and encourage more solar and storage development. Additionally, acquiring this site would allow CleanCapital to influence the future solar development pipeline on the island. 

• CleanCapital on site. As part of CleanCapital’s asset management strategy for this unique site, the company has stationed a dedicated asset manager onsite to address any issues that arise rather than solely relying on a third-party vendor. Having a CleanCapital full-time employee on site allows for quick response times, builds local relationships and resources, and decreases asset downtime overall.   

• Available parts inventory. As a fully integrated, diversified clean energy company, CleanCapital built out a centralized spare parts inventory program where all O&M providers, including the onsite company asset manager, can source replacement components to cut down on shipping lead times and, therefore, reduce site downtime.   

• Commitment to the clean energy transition. CleanCapital recognizes the important goals set by GPA to achieve a more sustainable energy source for the island. This is a driving force for continuing operations as effectively as possible at the Dandan site. As part of its mission, CleanCapital leverages its deep expertise in solar and energy storage to put more clean, renewable megawatts on the grid to meet the growing demand.   

In 2023, clean energy production in Pacific Island communities represented 17% of CleanCapital’s total generation. However, emissions avoided for this region are even higher than that, totaling around 22%. CleanCapital expects the future ESG impact in this market will be even greater.

As Guam moves deeper into its clean energy transition, CleanCapital is continuing to accelerate the transition by strategically investing in middle-market solar and energy storage. Looking to the future, CleanCapital is excited about continuing to build solar and storage assets in Guam and providing clean energy to the island’s energy mix. 

As the U.S. continues to speed towards its target of 80% renewable energy generation by 2030, overlooked territories like Guam will become pivotal in making the clean energy transition possible. The acquisition of the Dandan site is proof of CleanCapital’s commitment to investing in unlikely places that will influence the future of solar and storage in the U.S. This site also remains a critical component in diversifying the energy mix on the island and the facility’s impact on the local economy to provide a cleaner and more reliable energy source, lower energy costs, and greener jobs.