MidAmerican Solar and SunPower Corp. say the first phase of the 579-megawatt Solar Star development have been synchronised and are now transmitting power to California’s grid.
Consisting of two projects – one in Kern County and the other in Los Angeles County – construction commenced in early 2013 and is expected to be complete by the end of 2015.
“We are pleased to connect and synchronize Solar Star’s first SunPower Oasis Power Blocks, totalling 57 megawatts, to the grid,” said Jorg Heinemann, SunPower executive vice president, customer operations and engineering, procurement and construction. “The project partners are working well together and with the community to deliver one of the world’s largest solar power plants on schedule.”
The Solar Star projects combined are expected to have more than 1.7 million solar panels installed when complete; generating enough electricity to power nearly 255,000 average California households. The projects will avoid the generation of approximately 570,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
Aside from the clean power; the projects have been a boon for local economies. Solar Star currently employs approximately 600 workers at the site and is expected to generate more than USD $500 million in regional economic benefits.
Southern California Edison will purchase electricity from the projects under two long-term power purchase contracts.
“Utility-scale solar power is a competitively priced renewable resource, and a key part of Southern California Edison’s energy mix,” said Stuart Hemphill, senior vice president of Power Supply for Southern California Edison.
Previously known as the Antelope Valley Solar Projects, MidAmerican acquired the Solar Star projects from SunPower in January 2013.
MidAmerican Solar is a subsidiary of MidAmerican Renewables. Its projects include the 550-megawatt Topaz Solar Farms in San Luis Obispo County, California and a 49 percent stake in the 290-megawatt Agua Caliente project in Yuma County, Arizona.
Parent company MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company owns one of the largest renewable energy portfolios in the USA.
