Duke Energy Renewables has awarded turnkey engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services to Swinerton Renewable Energy for its Pumpjack and Wildwood solar power projects, located near Bakersfield, Calif. Together, the projects total 40 megawatts (MW) AC and, once operational, will generate enough clean electricity to power about 10,000 California households.
"Swinerton is thrilled to be working with the team at Duke Energy Renewables," said Swinerton Renewable Energy Vice President and Division Manager George Hershman. "Their deep experience and professionalism make them an ideal project partner. Together, we look forward to delivering reliable, renewable power to California residents."
Duke has 20-year power purchase agreements in place to sell the power from both sites to Southern California Edison (SCE). Design and procurement are already underway, and both projects are expected to achieve commercial operation by year-end.
"Pumpjack and Wildwood will more than double our solar power capacity in California," said Duke Energy Renewables President Greg Wolf. "We're pleased to be working with Swinerton to provide an increasing supply of affordable, clean energy to the nation's number one solar market."
Once the projects are complete, Duke Energy Renewables will own and operate more than 65 MW of solar power in California, bringing the company's total U.S.-installed solar capacity to 185 MW at 23 utility-scale facilities across the country.
Pumpjack and Wildwood will each comprise a standalone 20 MW AC photovoltaic facility and a new 115 kV substation for interconnection to the grid. The projects' technology package features 171,000 x BYD 305 W polycrystalline modules, 40 x 1 MW NX Advanced Energy inverters, and Array Technologies Inc. single-axis trackers.
About Duke Energy Renewables
Duke Energy Renewables, part of Duke Energy's commercial businesses, is a leader in developing innovative wind and solar energy generation facilities for customers throughout the United States. The company's growing portfolio of commercial renewable assets includes 15 wind and 21 solar power projects in operation in 12 states, totaling almost 1,800 megawatts in electric-generating capacity. Learn more at www.duke-energy.com/renewables.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available on the Internet at: www.duke-energy.com.
About Swinerton
With over 3 GW of power generation and 630 MW of solar power expertise, Swinerton Renewable Energy offers turnkey solar power solutions for utility-scale and distributed-generation projects, including EPC and O&M services, warranty wraps, performance guarantees, and its industry-leading monitoring and SCADA platform, SOLV™. Recognized nationally since 1888, Swinerton is the preferred builder and trusted partner in every market it serves -- proudly leading with integrity, passion, and excellence. For more information on Swinerton, visit their blog, Facebook, Flickr and LinkedIn or follow Swinerton Renewable Energy on Twitter.