MORE UTILITY PV

More sun power for Southern California Edison
Ronald D. White, January 10, 2011 (LA Times)

"Southern California Edison has signed contracts with two firms for the construction and operation of seven solar power plants in the state, including one that the utility said would be among the largest single solar photovoltaic installations in the U.S…The facilities, scheduled to be completed by 2016, would add a total of 831 megawatts of capacity, enough to power 540,000 homes…"

[Marc Ulrich, vice president for renewable and alternative power, Southern California Edison:] “This is an unprecedented time for solar photovoltaic…We’re seeing growth in technological advances and manufacturing efficiencies that result in competitive prices for green, emission-free energy…”

click to enlarge

"In 2009, Edison sent its customers 13.6 billion kilowatt-hours of power from renewable sources, about 17% of its overall power generation. That renewable electricity was generated by 3,296 megawatts of wind, geothermal, solar, biomass and small hydropower facilities, with solar representing only 382 megawatts of capacity…Edison spokeswoman Vanessa McGrady said the megawatt total for solar and overall renewable power had increased…

"…[In the bigger of the two deals] SunPower Corp…will build and operate three installations totaling about 711 megawatts, including a 325-megawatt facility in Rosamond, Calif…[T]o be completed in 2016, [it] will be one of the nation’s largest…SunPower also will build a 276-megawatt photovoltaic operation in Rosamond, scheduled to open in 2016, and a 110-megawatt facility in Los Banos…to open in 2014."

click to enlarge

"Howard Wenger, president, SunPower utility and power plants:] “[The contracts show] the growing value of solar photovoltaic technology as a reliable, cost-effective energy resource delivered across rooftops or as a central-station power plant.”

"The second Edison deal involves Fotowatio Renewable Ventures Inc…[It] calls for four smaller installations…that will range from 20 megawatts to 60 megawatts in capacity and…be operational by the end of 2013."