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LS Power Signs Additional Solar Contract with SDG&E

LS Power Signs Additional Solar Contract with SDG&E

August 27, 2010

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) today announced that it has signed and submitted for approval a second 20-year power purchase agreement with an LS Power subsidiary to procure up to 45 megawatts (MW) of solar energy from the proposed Centinela Solar Energy facility, to be located 90 miles east of San Diego in California’s Imperial Valley.

The new contract, combined with a 20-year agreement SDG&E signed in May for up to 130 MW of power from the Centinela project, will provide for a combined total of up to 175 MW of clean, renewable energy, or enough electricity for more than 60,000 homes.

“This contract reaffirms SDG&E’s ongoing commitment to securing renewable resources for our customers in the San Diego region,” said Matt Burkhart, vice president of electric and fuel procurement for SDG&E. “This will also help bring us a step closer to our goal of bringing in 33 percent of renewable energy by 2020.”

Upon completion in 2014, the Centinela Solar Energy facility will send solar power to SDG&E’s service territory across the Sunrise Powerlink, a 120-mile, 500- kilovolt electric transmission line which was designed to increase power reliability in the region and 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.

“This is an exciting time in the renewable energy market, and we are looking forward to continuing our work with SDG&E on this project,” said John King, executive vice president of LS Power. “This expansion will not only create jobs during these tough economic times, but it also provides clean energy to SDG&E customers.” Under the new contract, which runs through 2034, the Centinela Solar Energy facility will employ photovoltaic technology on a 1,350-acre site near Calexico, Calif. At peak, the entire project will generate as much as 175 MW of electricity.

Last month, SDG&E signed an additional renewable contract securing 7.5 MW of wind energy from Coram Energy, LLC of Tehachapi, Calif. An application was filed with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on July 30, 2010. The Coram Energy facility is located in the Tehachapi Pass in Kern County, Calif. and began generating wind energy in June 2005.

These two new contracts combined add another 52.5 MW of renewable energy generated in California to SDG&E’s portfolio. Both contracts require CPUC approval.

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. SDG&E is committed to creating ways to help our customers save energy and money every day. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego.

About Coram Energy
Coram Energy is a privately held developer, owner, and operator of windpowered electric generating facilities focusing on projects in western North America. The company has continuously and successfully operated wind turbines in the Tehachapi Pass wind resource area north of Los Angeles for the last 25 years. The company has additional projects under development in British Columbia and California

Media Contacts:
San Diego Gas & Electric
Art Larson
(877) 866-2066
www.sdge.com

LS Power
Eric Crawford
(925) 201-5234
ecrawford@lspower.com

Coram Energy
Brian J. O’Sullivan
(604) 921-1241
www.coramenergy.com

About LS Power:

Founded in 1990, LS Power is a premier development, investment, and operating company focused on the North American power and energy infrastructure sector, with leading platforms across generation, transmission and energy transition solutions. Since inception, LS Power has developed or acquired over 47,000 MW of power generation, including utility-scale solar, wind, hydro, battery energy storage, and natural gas-fired facilities. Through LS Power Grid, the firm has built and operates approximately 680 miles of high-voltage transmission and has another 200+ miles and multiple grid infrastructure projects currently under construction or development. Across its efforts, LS Power actively invests in and scales businesses that are accelerating the energy transition, including electric vehicle charging, demand response, microgrids, renewable fuels and waste-to-energy platforms. Over the years, LS Power has raised $53 billion in debt and equity capital to support North American infrastructure.