NRG, First Solar and MidAmerican Solar connect 100MW to the grid in Arizona

NRG Energy, First Solar and MidAmerican Solar representatives gathered to connect the first 100MW of the 290MW Agua Caliente Solar Project to the grid. The project is owned by NRG Energy and MidAmerican, while operator First Solar designed and constructed the plant in Yuma County, Arizona, using thin-film modules. During the event, company representatives answered questions and tours of the site were given. Once completed, Agua Caliente will be the largest solar power plant in North America. The generated energy will be sold to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company under a long-term PPA.

Tom Doyle, NRG’s president, commented on the grid connection: “Getting to this milestone of our first 100MW at Agua Caliente illustrates the success of public-private partnerships to stimulate the construction of these large-scale solar projects, creating hundreds of construction jobs and providing clean, renewable power to thousands of homes. Large-scale projects like this also help drive down the price of solar, which will make it even more cost-competitive with conventional electricity generation in the near future.”