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Southern California Edison's project to cover more than 100 warehouse and other industrial rooftops with 250 MW of solar/PV modules continues to move forward. Next week, the supplier of the first 2.2 MW's worth of PV for the initial installation on 600,000 square feet of rooftop will be announced. Here's a short statement that company spokesman Gil Alexander just sent me via email.

"Southern California Edison (SCE) expects to announce the outcome of its first supplier solicitation for its new solar panel installation project next week.

"Shortly after the March 27 announcement of our two-square-mile solar panel project, SCE launched a competitive solicitation for panel and other suppliers for the Fontana, CA, building where the project announcement was made. This will be the first of more than 100 commercial rooftops we eventually will cover with panels.

"SCE hopes to begin installation work at this first site in June and to be producing solar power for the Inland Empire in time for this summer’s peak demand period--August and September.

"The solicitation process continues for the rest of the project."

A source in the solar industry with direct knowledge of SCE's "competitive solicitation" process told me earlier this week that the winner of the initial bid to supply those panels is none other than Wall Street's favorite thin-film PV company, First Solar. SCE's Alexander would not confirm that, saying only that "the process will end next week and we will announce."