ANTELOPE VALLEY – MidAmerican Solar and SunPower Corp. on Friday (April 26) marked the start of major construction at the Antelope Valley Solar Projects – two projects co-located in Kern and Los Angeles counties.
The 579-megawatt development will employ approximately 650 workers during a three-year construction period; generate more than $500 million in regional economic impact, the majority of which will be generated during construction; and serve California’s growing electricity demand with clean, renewable solar power.
The Antelope Valley Solar Projects make up the world’s largest solar power development under construction. When complete, the projects will provide enough energy to power approximately 400,000 average California homes.
“The Antelope Valley Solar Projects are already creating needed jobs and economic opportunity in local communities, while at the same time, providing direct, long-term environmental benefits,” said Paul Caudill, president of MidAmerican Solar. “We look forward to continuing our involvement in the Rosamond, Lancaster and Palmdale communities and, as we move forward, in the surrounding areas. The MidAmerican Solar team is committed to working hand-in-hand with the development’s neighbors and stakeholders. We also look forward to providing a reliable source of renewable energy to our customer Southern California Edison.”
“The start of construction on the Antelope Valley Solar Projects underscores that solar is a reliable, cost-competitive energy source,” said Howard Wenger, SunPower president, regions. “SunPower is proud to partner with MidAmerican Solar and Southern California Edison on this historic project, which is bringing critically needed jobs and economic opportunity to California today and will generate abundant clean, renewable power to the state over the long term.”
The Antelope Valley Solar Projects are owned by MidAmerican Solar.
SunPower designed and developed the projects and is the engineering, procurement and construction contractor. SunPower also will provide operations and maintenance services for the plants via a multiyear services agreement.
The Antelope Valley Solar Projects will provide renewable energy to Southern California Edison under two long-term power purchase contracts.
“Southern California Edison appreciates the opportunity to work with MidAmerican Solar and SunPower to meet California’s renewable energy goals and recognizes the start of construction as an important step on that path,” said Steven Eisenberg, Southern California Edison’s vice president of energy contracts.
At the 3,230-acre site, SunPower is installing the SunPower® Oasis®Power Plant product, fully integrated, modular solar technology that is engineered to rapidly deploy utility-scale solar projects while minimizing land use. The Oasis product uses high-efficiency SunPower solar panels mounted on SunPower® T0 Trackers, which position the panels to track the sun during the day, increasing energy capture by up to 25 percent.
Construction began in January 2013 and is expected to be complete by year-end 2015.
Electricity generated by the projects will displace approximately 775,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year – the equivalent of taking approximately 3 million cars off the road over the next 20 years. MidAmerican Solar and SunPower representatives hosted today’s community picnic and celebration at the project site west of Rosamond.
Representatives from both companies discussed the project’s construction schedule, environmental values, technology and community-centered plans for the future with more than 250 attendees. Local and state officials also provided remarks about the development and renewable energy.
MidAmerican Solar MidAmerican Solar, a subsidiary of MidAmerican Renewables, is headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz. MidAmerican Solar owns the 550-megawatt Topaz Solar Farms in San Luis Obispo County, Calif., and has a 49 percent ownership interest in the 290-megawatt Agua Caliente project in Yuma County, Ariz. In January 2013, MidAmerican Solar acquired the 579-megawatt Antelope Valley Solar Projects, two co-located projects in Kern and Los Angeles counties in California.
MidAmerican Renewables is a subsidiary of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, a global energy provider. MidAmerican Renewables owns and operates solar, wind, geothermal and hydro projects in the unregulated renewables market. MidAmerican Renewables is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. Information about MidAmerican Renewables and MidAmerican Solar is available on the company’s website and its Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages, which can be accessed via www.midamericanrenewablesllc.com.
(Information via press release from MidAmerican Solar and SunPower Corp.)
Green is a cover-up says
Where is Marvin “the RAT” Crist our chairman of the local air district on this issue. He is so far up the posterior of raymond that he does not see the dust storms he has created. People are getting hurt by this dust bowl environment.
Jason says
Too busy fighting the proposed power plant in Palmdale.
GillEGulch says
Isn’t the air district supposed to be working to help us attract business through compliance? Marvin is trying to pressure the board to play politics with his boogey man stories. according to what he said in the paper he won’t allow the killing of children for 35 jobs. Marvin wants 1000 jobs for that. what a hypocritical clown he is and what a farce he is making of our air board.
IBJEW says
GO SIGN BOOK 3 AT THE LOCAL 11 IBEW OFFICE 1200 PLUS STRONG OUT OF WORK LOL
William says
I don’t get how Parris, a republican, in conservative Lancaster reconciles his push for solar energy projects with the GOP opposition to such things.
The Tesla electric car got a loan from the government and is rated highly by
Consumer Reports now, but do ya think Fox News will report those ‘facts’.
Face it, conservatives are hypocrites across the board, with economics, religion, patriotism, etc. You name the subject and conservatives are hypocritical about it. The only thing they really worship is the dollar, while hypocritically undermining it with their gold buying idiocy, y’know, just in case the dollar crashes that they hope for.
jeffhre says
I suppose that precludes people doing the right thing be cause it’s right? Perhaps it’s being hung up on labels that is the problem. Try measuring folks by what they do, instead of their assumed ideology.
Michael Rives says
The once quiet and unblemished desert is being transformed by greedy people to make more money. We are not energy deficient. We will soon be water deficient. Think the AV looks like a ghost town now…wait a few years from now and you won’t be able to give your house away.
J. Ripper says
I dunno, solar panels are pretty d@mn quiet!
Frank Rizzo says
I agree, energy isn’t the problem out here, its water. Solar isn’t economical either, waste of money.
Rick Deckard says
Actually, the energy produced by this solar farms are not meant JUST for the Antelope Valley. It is for the purpose of generating enough energy to replace the San Onofre Nuclear generator that has been shut down for years to provide power for Los Angeles.
Renewable clean green energy to replace the oil that we import from other countries. It’s going to be the future so get on board.
BGF says
I think you’ll find they will need to generate more power than the claimed 400,000 average homes worth…. That barely covers greater AV, it sure as hell won’t power LA.
jeffhre says
400,000 homes? At 2.6 people per home that is good for a population of 1,040,000. And add that to the blinking lights you see on the hills to the north (each one is megawatt wind turbine) And to all the solar you see on rooftops, in parking lots and ground mounted scattered about the AV. And to the wind turbines over the hills to the north through Tehachapi.
AVfubar says
I think these huge solar farms, and the wind generators, are changing the AV’s microclimate. The solar farms out in west valley are facilitating our horrible dust storms.
ed says
Solar energy is the future. Plant grass.
sikntired says
Got water?
J. Ripper says
And Walmarts don’t change the AV’s microclimate?
GillEGulch says
you got to love Rex. he parades around as this green champion while the solar fields are polluting our air and spreading valley fever. he builds walmarts when we don’t need any more and it will add to traffic and more air pollution. he buys gas guzzling hummers for his business. he promotes a car race that pollutes through our streets downtown. he lives in a big house that uses a lot of electricity and gas to heat and cool. he drives a sports car instead of a hybrid. he makes al gore look like ed begley jr.
sikntired says
That was a definite dis to Ed Begley-at least Ed walks the walk .
GillEGulch says
yes ed begley jr walks the walk. rex and al don’t.
Nikolas says
Fantastic! With our abundant sunshine and available land, it makes perfect sense for these solar developments to be constructed here in the A.V. With the cost of PV solar continuing to decline at a relatively rapid pace, I think it is safe to say we’ll see additional developments over the next decade or more.
Wow! says
The opportunities to sell vacant lands are endless! Now all you need are government connections to make a mint! Ayn Rand lives!
BGF says
Get used to weekly dust storms.