PG&E Signs Agreement With Solel for 553 Megawatts of Solar Thermal Electric Power

http://www.solarbuzz.com/News/NewsNAPR837.htm

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has entered into a landmark renewable energy agreement with Solel-MSP-1 to purchase renewable energy from the Mojave Solar Park, to be constructed in California's Mojave Desert. The project will deliver 553 megawatts of solar power, the equivalent of powering 400,000 homes, to PG&E's customers in northern and central California. The Mojave Solar Park project is now the world's largest single solar commitment.

"The solar thermal project announced today is another major milestone in realizing our goal to supply 20 percent of our customers' energy needs with clean renewable energy," said Fong Wan, vice president of Energy Procurement, PG&E. "Through the agreement with Solel, we can harness the sun's climate-friendly power to provide our customers with reliable and cost-effective energy on an unprecedented scale."

The plant utilizes Solel's patented and commercially-proven solar thermal parabolic trough technology. Over the past 20 years, the technology has powered nine operating solar power plants in the Mojave Desert and is currently generating 354 MW of annual electricity. When fully operational in 2011, the Mojave Solar Park plant will cover up to 6,000 acres, or nine square miles in the Mojave Desert. The project will rely on 1.2 million mirrors and 317 miles of vacuum tubing to capture the desert sun's heat.

"We are thrilled to bring 553 MW of clean energy to California," said Avi Brenmiller, chief executive officer of Solel Solar Systems. "Our proven solar technology means Solel can economically turn the energy of the warm California sun into clean power for the state's homes and businesses."

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and the 500-850 MW of solar-thermal that SoCalEd is purchasing AND the existing 354 MW of solar thermal already operating in CA...

San Diego Gas &Electric Signs for 300MW to 900MW of Solar Power

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2005/09/san_diego_gas_e.html

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has contracted to buy 300MW of solar power for 20 years, with the potential to grow to 900 MW within 10 years, from Arizona-based Stirling Energy Systems (SES).

SDG&E will buy the electrical energy produced from the 300MW SES Solar Two plant, an array of 12,000 Stirling solar dishes on approximately three square miles in the Imperial Valley of Southern California. SDG&E has options on two future phases that could add up to 600MW of additional renewable energy and capacity to SDG&E’s resource mix.

SDG&E has committed to delivering 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2010. The utility also announced the purchase of approximately 4MW of energy and capacity from a local biogas landfill project.

The contract marks the second major deal recently for SES. In early August, SES announced a contract with Southern California Edison that will result in the development of a 500MW solar project in the Mojave Desert northeast of Los Angeles, with an option to expand the project to 850 MW. The first 500 MW phase, consisting of a 20,000-dish array, is to be constructed during a four-year period.

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K&R

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