San Diego Gas & Electric

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) joined U.S. Secretary of Energy, Dr. Ernest Moniz, to formally launch the U.S. Department of Energy's Partnership for Energy Sector Climate Resilience. SDG&E will collaborate with the Department of Energy (DOE) and 16 other utilities to improve the resilience of the nation's energy infrastructure against extreme weather and climate change impacts. Under the partnership program, owners and operators of energy assets will develop and pursue strategies to reduce climate and weather-related vulnerabilities.

Southern Power acquired the 150-MW Solar Gen 2 solar facility in California from First Solar. The Solar Gen 2 facility is being built and will be operated and maintained by First Solar. Construction of the project began in 2013. Completion of the project is expected to occur later in the fourth quarter 2014. Southern Power will initially own 100 percent of the project, with First Solar agreeing to acquire a minority interest subject to certain terms and upon fulfillment of certain conditions.

SunEdison completed construction of a 24 MW solar power plant located in the California Desert. The Cascade solar power plant will supply renewable electricity to San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) through a 20-year PPA that was awarded under the California Renewable Auction Mechanism (RAM). The 150-acre solar power plant is comprised of more than 75,000 SunEdison Silvantis Monocrystalline Solar PV Modules mounted to SunEdison AP90 Single Axis Trackers.

Google partnered with Silver Ridge Power, formerly known as AES Solar, to invest approximately $103 million in Silver Ridge Power’s 265.7-MW Mount Signal Solar project. The project, also known as Imperial Valley Solar 1, is a utility-scale solar PV generating plant under construction in Imperial County, California. Mount Signal Solar is expected to be fully operational in 2014 and will sell its output to the San Diego Gas & Electric under a long-term PPA.

EDF Renewable Energy put the 143 MWp (110 MWac) Catalina Solar Project, located in California’s Mojave Desert, into commercial operation. The solar project is comprised of 82 MWp Solar Frontier and 61 MWp First Solar PV modules. EDF Renewable Services will provide operations and maintenance services. The project’s energy is provided to San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) under a 25-year PPA.

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) signed five new renewable power purchase agreements for a total of nearly 62 MW of solar and wind energy. Two of these contracts, for a total of 27 MW, will be located in San Diego County.

Pattern Energy’s Ocotillo wind project in Southern California began commercial operation, transmitting energy to the Sunrise Powerlink, a newly constructed 117-mile 500-kv transmission line connecting San Diego and the Imperial Valley. The 265-MW Ocotillo project in Imperial Valley has 94 turbines now operational. An additional 18 turbines are expected to be installed in the spring of 2013. San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) will buy the output under a 20-year agreement.