Project Focus: San Diego Gas & Electric signs 20-year power-purchase agreement

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has signed a 20-year power-purchase agreement with an LS Power subsidiary to secure up to 130MW of solar energy from the intended Centinela Solar Energy facility in Imperial Valley. The contract runs through 2033, wherein the PV facility will produce enough renewable energy for around 45,000 households. Final approval from the California Public Utilities Commission is still required.

The Centinela Solar Energy facility is scheduled for completion in 2014, with up to 130MW of solar power being sent across SDG&E’s service territory via the Sunrise Powerlink. The power line is due to be completed in 2012 and is purported to be able to carry up to 1,000MW of electricity .

"This contract is the result of diligent efforts focused on cultivating local solar, wind and geothermal resources for San Diego," said Michael R. Niggli, president and chief operating officer of SDG&E. "It will help us fill the Sunrise Powerlink with green power and meet the state's aggressive renewable goals."

Located on 1,150 acres near Calexico, California, the Centinela Solar facility will produce emissions free energy without using water and represents a $500 million economic investment in Imperial County. As an added bonus, hundreds of jobs are expected to be created during its construction.

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  • Photovoltaics International 14th Edition

    Photovoltaics International 14th Edition

    Published in November 2011, the 14th edition of Photovoltaics International provides a variety of technical papers from some of the industry’s stalwarts. Features include: TÜV Rheinland on junction box testing; Laser Zentrum Hannover on laser edge isolation of mc-Si cells; Calisolar on the importance of traceability; Fraunhofer ISE on EWT cells; and EPIA on Europe’s LCOE.

  • Photovoltaics International Lite, Volume 05 - 2011

    Photovoltaics International Lite, Volume 05 - 2011

    This digital interactive Lite sees Tom Cheyney follow Agua Caliente’s progress on becoming one of first truly utility-scale PV power farms, where 40–50MW (AC) will be commissioned by the end of the year. We also feature one of the world’s largest silicon thin-film PV power plants, Avenal; a report on warnings of the collapse of module prices from Solarbuzz and PI-Berlin presents tips on PV module testing. A print version of this edition will be distributed at Solar Power International 2011 in Dallas, Texas.

  • Manufacturing The Solar Future: The 2011 Production Annual

    Manufacturing The Solar Future: The 2011 Production Annual

    Manufacturing the Solar Future is the primary source guide for detailed information on the PV production process. This annual provides technical details on how the leading companies and research organizations worldwide are addressing this need by dramatically improving their manufacturing processes.

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