Clearway Energy Brings 320-MW, 1,280-MWh Battery Storage Complex Online in Utah
According to Solar Power World, Clearway Energy has brought online the Honeycomb Energy Center in Iron and Beaver Counties, Utah, a 320-MW battery energy storage complex made up of four 80-MW systems delivering a combined 1,280 MWh of capacity.
Project Scale and Structure
The four storage systems are each sited adjacent to existing Clearway-owned solar projects and are contracted under 20-year agreements with utility PacifiCorp. CEO Craig Cornelius described the project as supporting “critical infrastructure in the state to help balance the grid and stabilize power costs.”
The buildout peaked at 150 construction jobs, with priority given to local workers, and will sustain more than a dozen permanent full-time positions. In total, the Honeycomb projects are expected to generate $60 million in property and sales taxes for schools and public services in the region. Sen. John Curtis called the project “a major investment in Utah’s energy future,” citing grid reliability and energy storage’s role in enabling renewables at scale.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Scope signals pipeline: A four-site, 1,280-MWh buildout of this scale requires years of civil prep, electrical installation, commissioning, and ongoing O&M work. Projects structured this way tend to roll out in phases, creating repeat subcontract opportunities across sites.
- Utility-scale storage is accelerating: Paired solar-plus-storage projects under long-term utility contracts represent a growing procurement model. Subcontractors with BESS commissioning experience or high-voltage electrical crews should be positioning for this segment now.
- Local hire clauses matter: Clearway explicitly prioritized local employment at Honeycomb. Field service companies operating near major utility-scale project corridors, including the rural intermountain West, should be building relationships with developers before shovels go in the ground.
- Long-term O&M is the follow-on prize: With 12-plus full-time positions sustained post-commissioning and a 20-year contract structure, projects like this create durable service and maintenance opportunities well beyond initial construction.
