San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), a regulated public utility, has entered into two 20-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) with the subsidiaries of Silverado Power, an independent solar development group, for a total of 15 MW of solar energy.
Victor Mesa Linda B, based in Victorville, California, and Western Antelope Dry Ranch in Lancaster, California are the two subsidiaries involved in the contracts. Each PPA requires sanction from the California Public Utilities Commission.
The renewable energy project in Victorville will produce 5 MW of electricity and the project in Lancaster will produce 10 MW of electricity. The total amount of renewable energy generated by the two projects will be sufficient to power 3,225 homes. The construction of Victor Mesa Linda B solar project and Western Antelope Dry Ranch project is anticipated to begin in April 2013 and progress till October 2013.
Hans Isern, CEO of Silverado Power, remarked that the two PPAs with SDG&E represent that the company is one step closer to offering cost-effective renewable energy to residents and businesses in California. He informed that the two sites have been selected for the projects, as they are located close to the existing transmission infrastructure and have very less biological and cultural resources. Silverado Power’s alliances with investor-owned utilities and local communities lead to sustainable projects that help meet the rising demand for renewable energy, decrease greenhouse gas emissions and create jobs, added Isern.
Under the Renewable Portfolio Standard program of the state, investor-owned utilities need to purchase 33% of their required electricity from renewable sources by 2020.