640 MWh Arizona solar plus storage project selects Fluence for US-made battery systems

Torch Clean Energy announced this week that its Winchester solar project in Arizona will deploy 160 MW / 640 MWh of battery capacity across two mirrored systems co-located with two 80 MW solar plants. It also announced the battery supplier, with Fluence tapped to supply its battery energy storage systems (BESS), with site delivery expected in early 2027.

When unveiled in 2024, Winchester was presented as an 80 MW solar park with an 80 MW / 320 MWh BESS to be built, owned, and operated by Torch Clean Energy, with utility Tucson Electric Power the offtaker. The latest description indicates a changed scope, without clarified details.

Fluence itself announced that the Gridstack Pro 5000 will include domestically manufactured enclosures, inverters, and thermal-management equipment to enable eligibility for Inflation Reduction Act domestic-content bonus credits.

“We’re proud to partner with Torch Clean Energy on the Winchester project and to bring this important power resource to the Arizona electric grid,” said John Zahurancik, President, Fluence Americas.

“Torch is excited to partner with Fluence to manufacture the energy storage system for our Winchester project,” said Travis Haggard, President of Torch Clean Energy, which is backed by Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners. “The Gridstack Pro 5000 will allow us to shift cost-effective solar generation to be dispatched when the grid needs it most.”

Torch Clean Energy says it has some 1,400 MW of generation capacity under development with 20+ utility-scale renewable energy facilities across seven states.

Fluence reports it has more than 22 GWh of battery energy storage deployed or contracted across over 90 projects in the United States. The company positions Gridstack Pro as configurable with U.S.-made components to support domestic-content qualification.