Dive Brief:
- NextEra Energy Resources has purchased the planned 250 megawatt Silver State South solar power plant from First Solar.
- First Solar will provide Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) services to NextEra and subsequently provide operations and maintenance services for the Nevada project.
- Generation from Silver State South’s cadmium telluride thin film modules, manufactured by First Solar for Southwestern desert conditions, will go to Southern California Edison under a long-term power purchase agreement of undisclosed terms.
Dive Insight:
Silver State South developer First Solar is the world’s biggest solar power plant builder and the second biggest module manufacturer in the world. Pre-construction activity has already begun and the project is expected to go online before the 30% investment tax credit expires on December 31, 2016. Construction will create an estimated 500 local full-time jobs at its peak.
Turner Renewable Energy and Southern Company just last week announced the purchase of the 50 megawatt Macho Springs solar power plant in New Mexico from First Solar. The Macho Springs twenty year power purchase agreement with El Paso Electric set the price of solar power plant electricity at $0.579 per kilowatt-hour, well below the typical $0.842 per kilowatt-hour natural gas plant price.
