First Solar in the lead for billion dollar California solar project?
Is First Solar in the lead to supply Southern California Edison’s recently approved a 500-megawatt photovoltaic (PV) power project. The Tempe, Ariz., company would be an obvious favorite to snatch the contract.
First Solar is already involved in the project, having supplied thin film PV cells to three facilities, which are close to generating a combined five megawatts of solar power by the end of the year.
SCE spokesman Gil Alexander tells GER that there are no favorites and the utility will tender the PV supply contract for its share of the project, which is expected to cost $875 million.
On Thursday the California Public Utilities Commission greenlighted SCE’s plan to add about 500 megawatts of PV panels on rooftops of commercial buildings across its service area in Southern California.
Starting next year SCE plans to have 100 megawatts of rooftop solar power installed every year over the next five years.
SCE will own, install, operate, and maintain half of the expected PV capacity — or about 250 megawatts — and solicit bids from independent developers to develop the remaining 250 megawatts. The selected independent power producers will sell power to SEC under long-term power purchase agreements.
Alexander says the utility is likely to finance its share of the power projects with a combination of debt and equity.
Earlier this year New Jersey’s Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) launched a similar initiative to install PV solar panels on utility poles and streetlights, on the roofs of schools, municipal buildings, and public housing to feed 120 megawatts into the state grid.
