Commercial operation begins at NRG Solar, Eurus Energy America’s 45MW plant

August 8, 2011
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

Commercial operation has begun at California’s largest solar power project after NRG Solar and Eurus Energy America activated their 45MW Avenal Solar Generating Facility in Kings County.

The facility was developed by Eurus and the electricity produced will be sold to Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) under separate 20-year power purchase agreements. When operating at full capacity, the three systems that make up Avenal – Avenal Park, Sun City and Sand Drag – comprised of around 450,000 Sharp tandem-junction amorphous silicon modules, will generate enough electricity to cater to the energy requirements of 36,000 Kings County homes.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The project cost approximately $220 million, according to Eurus.

“Only two years ago, NRG began its expansion into solar power by bringing online the largest photovoltaic plant in California at that time – today, we repeat that accomplishment by commencing operations at Avenal,” said Tom Doyle, president of NRG’s Solar and West Region. “We are excited to celebrate the success of our partnership with Eurus as we advance the development of solar power in California to help meet the state’s ambitious renewable energy goals.”

“Eurus Energy is committed to bringing well-located and highly-viable renewable energy projects on-line in a responsible and timely manner,” added Mark Anderson, president and CEO of Eurus Energy America. “Our ability to deploy capital and generate jobs locally in California while also helping the State in its drive towards a clean energy based economy is due to the collective efforts of many, including Kings County, the City of Avenal and PG&E.”

Read Next

December 22, 2025
The Chinese government has lodged a complaint against India with the World Trade Organization over alleged subsidies to its solar industry.
December 22, 2025
European Energy has secured approval for its 1.1GW Upper Calliope solar project in Queensland near Gladstone, Australia. 
December 22, 2025
Emmvee, through its subsidiary Emmvee Energy, has begun operations at its 2.5GW solar module manufacturing plant in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
December 22, 2025
The PV Review, 2025: this year has seen many papers and reports on solar PV modules reliability and performance issues, especially with TOPCon.
Premium
December 22, 2025
Tracker producer Nextracker has rebranded as Nextpower to reflect the wider portfolio of products and services it now offers.
December 22, 2025
As utility-scale solar projects grow, managing voltage drops remains a critical challenge for EPCs and system designers. Jason Coleman of Terrasmart explores how optimising eBOS architecture offers a solution while delivering cost savings.

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 24, 2026
Dallas, Texas
Solar Media Events
April 15, 2026
Milan, Italy
Solar Media Events
June 16, 2026
Napa, USA
Solar Media Events
November 24, 2026
Warsaw, Poland