Sempra has declared that 42 MW, solar panels comprising three blocks have been installed at the Mesquite Solar project and have begun supplying renewable electricity to the power grid.
Construction of the project located in Arlington began in June 2011 and is expected to be completed in 2013. PG&E Company will buy the power generated from the facility under an extended term contract of 20 years.
Mesquite Solar’s development brings Sempra generation nearer to its goal of achieving renewables of 1000MW to its portfolio of power generation by 2015. An average of 4,500 solar photovoltaic panels is currently being installed everyday by 450 workers. The facility spans 900 A, which can accommodate 680 football fields and will make use of 800,000 panels to produce power that will be sufficient for 50,000 homes when it is fully operational.
William Engelbrecht, vice president of planning at Sempra Generation said that an objective of installing 42 MW of solar system had been set, which was rendered by the construction team and that this mammoth task could not have been realized without the contribution of the contractors, Zachry and Suntech.
Mesquite Solar 1 belongs to the first phase of the Mesquite Solar Complex, belonging to the Sempra Generation, which will be developed into a 700 MW facility. Simultaneously Copper Mountain Solar 2, a second solar plant of 150-MW is being constructed by the company in Boulder City, Nev. PG&E has been contracted for 25 years for the electrical output from that project.