The first phase of Catalina Solar, EDF Renewable Energy’s 143MWp solar plant in Kern County, California, is to begin operation in December.
The San Diego Gas and Electric Company has a long-term power purchase agreement with EDF to buy the electricity generated by the plant.
EDF said Catalina was the largest utility scale PV project it had developed so far in the US. Comprising 82MWp of Solar Frontier and 60MWp of First Solar modules, the plant is expected to generate sufficient electricity to power 35,000 homes.
Mark Tholke,Vice President of EDF Renewable Energy’s South-west Region, said the development had been made possible because of the US federal investment tax credit.
“The ITC for solar assists renewable resources in levelling the playing field against fossil fuels, which have decades of government incentives behind them,” he said.
