Regulators give green signal to contract for Sempra generation solar power plant

SEMPRA

Regulators give green signal to contract for Sempra generation solar power plant

Sempra Generation announced that the California Public Utilities
Commission has given the approval to Pacific Gas and Electric’s 25-year
contract to buy 150 megawatts (MW) of renewable power from Sempra Generation’s
Copper Mountain Solar 2 project in
 Boulder
City, Nev.

The state regulatory approval enables Sempra Generation to begin
construction on the 1,100-acre solar plant this year. 

Sempra Generation will start installation of the first 92 MW of
solar panels at Copper Mountain Solar 2 by year-end 2012, with the remaining 58
MW slated for completion by 2015. 

PG&E has the option to accelerate the commercial operation
date of the second phase, under the terms of the contract. 

“Copper Mountain Solar 2 represents another big step
forward for Sempra Generation as we continue growing our portfolio of
contracted renewable energy assets throughout the U.S. There is a lot of
excitement about starting construction on this major solar project, we and look
forward to delivering another important source of clean energy to Californiaconsumers,” said Jeffrey W. Martin, president and chief
executive officer of Sempra Generation.

Copper Mountain Solar 2 will produce enough zero-emission
electricity to power about 45,000 homes when fully developed.

“PG&E is working hard on behalf of our customers to
meet California’s aggressive
clean energy goals. Copper Mountain Solar 2 represents a significant step
toward those goals. It increases our diverse renewable power portfolio, and
will help us deliver more safe, reliable and affordable electricity to our
customers throughout northern and central California,” saidFong
Wan, senior vice president for procurement for PG&E. 

First Solar will provide the ground mounted thin film panels and
serve as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the solar
project.

Sempra Generation, one of the largest solar developers in the
U.S., operates 58 MW of utility-scale solar power in Boulder City and has an additional 150 MW under
construction in Arizona.  By early 2013, the company expects to have about
300 MW of solar generation in operation, an increase of more than five times
the amount of solar capacity currently installed.

By GreentechLead.com Team