Costco Florida Center Goes Off-Grid

Costco Wholesale has installed an independent, on-site energy system at its distribution center in Port St. Lucie, Florida, allowing the facility to operate off the utility grid when needed. A project with Trinity Energy, the system combines solar power, battery storage and electric fleet charging on one platform, which Trinity said can generate enough power for around-the-clock reliability across the facility’s critical loads. This strategy follows a similar Costco-Trinity installation at the retailer’s Mira Loma and Ontario distribution centers in California, announced in October 2025.

The Snohomish, Washington-based provider said the system was installed faster than a traditional utility backup would have been, letting Costco bypass grid interconnection queues and permitting delays. Trinity said the platform also positions the company to capture Inflation Reduction Act tax credits for solar and storage. By choosing an off-grid solution, the retailer sidesteps the lengthy approval processes often required for connecting new large-scale loads to the existing electrical infrastructure. This speed of deployment is a distinct advantage when grid capacity is constrained in growing markets.

“By investing in this integrated on-site energy system, we strengthen the reliability of our Port St. Lucie facility while avoiding additional burden on the utility grid,” said Costco’s Shay Reed. “This approach supports our continued growth, reduces strain on the broader grid during peak demand and helps preserve energy resources for the surrounding community.”

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Operational Continuity

Trinity considers the project to be a template for other large-scale operators, such as data centers, semiconductor plants, EV and battery producers and logistics operations, facing rising energy costs, grid strain and outages. The Port St. Lucie facility is a critical hub for the retailer’s supply chain, and maintaining a steady flow of goods is a primary concern. Without power, inventory integrity and logistics schedules would suffer immediately. The Trinity system allows the distribution center to maintain essential operations even if the external grid fails completely.

“For a distribution center of this scale, uninterrupted power is essential to maintain inventory integrity, logistics flow and overall operational efficiency,” said Gonzalo Stabile, VP of design and engineering at Trinity Energy. “Our independent on-site energy infrastructure enables businesses to maintain continuity during grid disruptions, better manage peak demand and stabilize long-term energy costs.”

Trinity Energy provides off-grid renewable electrification systems for the fleet, hospitality, commercial and multifamily housing sectors. The technology represents a shift away from the traditional model of relying entirely on centralized utilities. While the immediate benefit is security of supply, the long-term financial outlook for large industrial users is increasingly favorable through on-site generation. This setup lets operators hedge against volatile electricity prices and potential rate hikes, which is becoming a standard consideration for major industrial tenants.