Jun 3 2015
Community Energy announced today that it had delivered its second 100-plus megawatt solar project for construction, with the acquisition by Southern Company subsidiary Southern Power of its 103 megawatt (MW AC) Butler solar facility in Georgia.
The Butler Project will supply solar generation to Southern Company subsidiary Georgia Power under a 30-year power purchase agreement. Georgia Power will have the option to keep or sell the RECs, for the benefit of its customers or renewable energy programs.
Community Energy also originated and developed the 120 megawatt Comanche Solar Project in Colorado, which will supply solar generation to Xcel Energy under a 25-year purchase agreement approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.
Community Energy has a pipeline of large solar projects in the East, Midwest and Rocky Mountain regions, a significant number of which are on track for completion before the end of 2016. First brought on line by California utilities, large-scale solar projects are now proving economic in other regions of the country. With a track record over the last decade in wind development, Community Energy launched its large-scale solar development effort in 2010.
“By developing projects on optimum solar sites with advanced tracking technology, we’ve been able to make solar energy a cost-effective choice for utilities and large energy users in multiple regions outside California,” said Brent Alderfer, President of Community Energy, Inc. “By building solar at scale we reduce costs, increase efficiencies and deliver significant environmental benefit.”
Each large solar project is ultimately comprised of more than 400,000 PV modules utilizing single-axis tracking technology to follow the sun as it rises in the east and sets in the west. That combination produces power during peak demand periods matching daily summer air conditioning loads.
In general each 100 MW project will generate enough power for more than 25,000 homes in its first year. Over the course of the project’s 25 year life, it will produce more than 5 billion kilowatt hours of clean solar energy.
“We are pleased to be part of a new era in solar generation,” Mr. Alderfer concluded.