SDG&E Adds Solar Energy to its Portfolio from Imperial County
Photovoltaic Facility Proposed by LS Power Will Deliver up to 130
Megawatts of Clean Energy to San Diego Across Sunrise Powerlink
SAN DIEGO, May 13, 2010 – San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) today
announced that it has signed a 20-year power-purchase agreement with an LS Power
subsidiary to procure up to 130 megawatts (MW) of solar energy from the proposed
Centinela Solar Energy facility in the Imperial Valley, helping to solidify the company’s
commitment to employ the future Sunrise Powerlink to transmit clean, renewable
energy.
“Renewables are the lynchpin of SDG&E’s commitment to becoming the
quintessential utility of the future,” said Jessie J. Knight, Jr., chief executive officer of
SDG&E. “We are accessing large amounts of environmentally-friendly power and
developing infrastructure and smart technology to bring it to our communities. These
advances provide tangible benefits for our customers.”
Upon completion in 2014, the new Centinela Solar Energy facility will send up to
130 MW of solar power to SDG&E’s service territory across the Sunrise Powerlink, a
120-mile, 500-kilovolt electric transmission line which was designed to tap into the vast
renewable resources of the Imperial Valley. When completed in 2012, the new power
line is expected to carry up to 1,000 MW of electricity. Without the Sunrise Powerlink,
many renewable energy facilities in the Imperial Valley have no clear path to the San
Diego market.
“This contract is the result of diligent efforts focused on cultivating local solar,
wind and geothermal resources for San Diego,” said Mike Niggli, president and chief
operating officer of SDG&E. “It will help us fill the Sunrise Powerlink with green
power and meet the state’s aggressive renewable goals.”
“We are proud to secure this clean energy contract with SDG&E and move
forward with this project,” said John King, executive vice president of LS Power. “The
Imperial Valley is an excellent location to develop solar power and we look forward to
working with SDG&E and Imperial County to make this project a reality. The
emissions-free power produced by this facility will energize local communities and help
protect the environment.”
The Centinela Solar Energy facility will employ photovoltaic technology on a
1,150-acre site near Calexico, Calif., an area that is ideal for producing solar power due
to abundant desert sunlight. The facility will generate emissions-free energy without
the use of water, an important consideration in the arid desert of the Pacific Southwest.
In addition to producing clean electricity, the solar project represents a $500-million
economic investment in Imperial County and will create hundreds of area construction
jobs.
“This is great news for the Imperial Valley,” said Tim Kelley, CEO of the
Imperial Valley Economic Development Corporation. “Renewable energy has the
potential to become one of the pillars of the local economy, as long as we have the
Sunrise Powerlink to bring it to market. This vital infrastructure project is a win-win for
the Imperial Valley and San Diego and will help our region become a national leader in
renewable energy development.”
The up to 130 MW contract is one of several agreements with Imperial Valley
renewable energy developers for delivery of power to customers over the Sunrise Powerlink. Securing renewable energy from the Imperial Valley is a key focus of
SDG&E’s power purchase efforts.
Under the new contract, which runs through 2033, the photovoltaic facility will
produce enough “green” power for approximately 45,000 households. The contract
requires approval from the California Public Utilities Commission.
The project will help SDG&E meet California’s mandate to procure 20 percent of
its power from renewable resources by 2010 and the company’s voluntary commitment
of 33 percent by 2020.
About SDG&E
SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service
to 3.4 million consumers through 1.4 million electric meters and more than 840,000
natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The utility’s area spans
4,100 square miles. Exceptional customer service is a priority of SDG&E as it seeks to
enhance the region’s quality of life. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE:
SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego.
About LS Power
LS Power is a power generation and transmission group with a proven track
record of successful development activities, operations management and commercial
execution. LS Power has been involved in the development, construction, or operations
of over 20,000 MW of power generation throughout the United States. LS Power is
actively developing both power generation and transmission infrastructure to serve the
need for new generation and improve the aging transmission system. Highly regarded
in the financial community, LS Power has raised over $13 billion to support investment
in energy infrastructure since 2005. For more information, visit www.LSPower.com.
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