Posted on 05/13/2009 12:15:08 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
In what is touted to be the largest solar deal in the world, Pacific Gas & Electric today announced that it has expanded a series of solar-power contracts with Oakland's BrightSource Energy for a total of 1,310 megawatts of electricity — enough to power 530,000 California homes during peak hours.
Peak hours in the state are usually from noon to 7 p.m.
The power purchase agreements, which will now include seven power plants, add to a previous contract the two companies struck last April for up to 900 megawatts of solar thermal power.
The deal with PG&E means BrightSource now has 2,610 megawatts under contract, which the company said is more than any other solar thermal company in the world and represents more than 40 percent of all large-scale solar thermal contracts in the United States.
"The solar thermal projects announced today exemplify PG&E's commitment to increasing the amount of renewable energy we provide to our customers throughout northern and central California," John Conway, senior vice president of energy supply for PG&E, said in a statement. "Through these agreements with BrightSource, we can harness the sun's energy to meet our customers' power requirements when they need it most — during hot summer days."
John Woolard, chief executive of BrightSource Energy, said in a statement that today's agreements "reflect the technological milestones that the BrightSource Energy team has achieved over the past year. Our technology is setting the bar for efficient production of solar energy.''
BrightSource, which designs, builds, owns and operates solar thermal plants, will build the plants at a cost of at least $3 billion in the southwestern deserts of California, Nevada and Arizona. The company anticipates the first of those plants, a 110-megawatt facility at Ivanpah in eastern San Bernadino County, to begin operation by 2012.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
BrightSource Kah-Ching Ping!
The Kennedy trust appreciates the generosity of all Californians.
And Arnie sure has brought Tamminen a long way. From pool-boy to multi-millionaire.
Having traveled around the southern parts of Arizona a power plant would improve the scenery in my view.
Paging Glen Beck. Paging Glen Beck.
Well, I hope they have better solar technology than PG&E had in the Carrizo Plains. That project died many years ago.
Guess it could become another write-off for the company while maintaining their liberal GREEN tag.
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