D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments acquires 100MW PV project from First Solar

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The 100MW project is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018. Image: First Solar

D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments has signed off on an agreement to acquire the 100MW Willow Springs Solar Project in Kern County, California from First Solar.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

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 100MW plant, which was developed by First Solar, is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018. The site will provide power to Southern California Edison Company through a long-term PPA.

Bryan Martin, CEO of DESRI, said: “DESRI is thrilled to close on the acquisition of Willow Springs from First Solar. This project is a testament to the strong partnership that our firms have built over many years.  We are looking forward to using First Solar's leading Series 6 module technology to deliver clean energy to the Kern County community for years to come.”

Once completed, the project is expected to generate enough energy annually to power 41,000 typical California homes and displace more than 77,000 metric tons of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions each year.

Willow Springs is the fourth renewable energy project that DESRI has acquired from First Solar. In 2017 a DESRI affiliate acquired the 40MW Cuyama Solar Project in Santa Barbara County, while DESRI affiliates acquired the 31MM Portal Ridge Solar Project in Los Angeles County and the 11MW Rancho Seco Solar Project in Sacramento County in 2016.

16 June 2026
Napa, USA
PV Tech has been running PV ModuleTech Conferences since 2017. PV ModuleTech USA, on 16-17 June 2026, will be our fifth PV ModulelTech conference dedicated to the U.S. utility scale solar sector. The event will gather the key stakeholders from solar developers, solar asset owners and investors, PV manufacturing, policy-making and and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out the PV module supply channels to the U.S. out to 2028 and beyond.
13 October 2026
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
PV Tech has been running an annual PV CellTech Conference since 2016. PV CellTech USA, on 13-14 October 2026 is our fourth PV CellTech conference dedicated to solar manufacturing in the USA. From polysilicon, wafers, ingots, cells and modules, to critical component suppliers including glass and frames, the event connects every stage of the value chain under one roof. PV CellTech USA also brings together investors, innovators, manufacturers and industry stakeholders to collaborate and strengthen domestic solar manufacturing across the United States.

Read Next

June 5, 2026
Tech giant Google and US renewable energy developer Intersect have partnered to develop a new data centre and energy complex in Texas.
June 4, 2026
As solar imports to the US face increasing restrictions, domestic manufacturers are racing to build upstream production capability. With 66GW of module capacity chasing just 11GW of domestic cells, the supply chain crunch is reaching a critical inflection point, write Moustafa Ramadan and Joe Hennessy.
June 4, 2026
US-based solar manufacturer Thornova Solar has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with PV solutions provider Nextpower to incorporate steel frames into certain modules.
June 3, 2026
Avangrid has completed construction of its 166MWdc Tower Solar project in Oregon and connected the facility to the regional transmission grid.
June 3, 2026
Damp heat testing of solar PV modules yielded 11% 'red flag' results in RETC's latest PV Module Index Report.
June 3, 2026
Array Technologies has announced an update to its Array OmniTrack trackers, which can now rotate by up to two degrees.

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
June 16, 2026
Napa, USA
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
June 30, 2026
Sacramento, California
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
August 25, 2026
São Paulo, Brazil
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 1, 2026
Mexico City, Mexico
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 9, 2026