Upon completion in 2014, the new Centinela solar facility will deliver power to SDG&E’s service territory across the Sunrise Powerlink, a 120-mile, 500kV electric transmission line, which was designed to tap into the renewable resources of the Imperial Valley. When completed in 2012, the new power line is expected to carry up to 1,000MW of electricity.
Jessie Knight Jr, CEO of SDG&E, said: “Renewables are the lynchpin of SDG&E’s commitment to becoming the quintessential utility of the future. We are accessing large amounts of environmentally-friendly power and developing infrastructure and smart technology to bring it to our communities. These advances provide tangible benefits for our customers.”
The Centinela facility will employ photovoltaic technology on a 1,150 acre site near Calexico, California, an area that is ideal for producing solar power due to abundant desert sunlight.
Under the new contract, which runs through 2033, the photovoltaic facility will produce enough green power for approximately 45,000 households. The contract requires approval from the California Public Utilities Commission.
The project will help SDG&E meet California’s mandate to procure 20% of its power from renewable resources by 2010 and the company’s voluntary commitment of 33% by 2020, the company said.
