Solar power deal may be largest

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) and BrightSource Energy of Oakland signed an agreement that might be the world's largest solar deal. The deal will create a string of seven solar power plants, which will generate enough electricity for 530,000 homes. California law requires the state's electrical utilities to get 20% of their power from renewable...

Edited By Eli Kaberon, Editorial Intern

Share

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) and BrightSource Energy of Oakland signed an agreement that might be the world's largest solar deal. The deal will create a string of seven solar power plants, which will generate enough electricity for 530,000 homes. California law requires the state's electrical utilities to get 20% of their power from renewable sources by the end of 2010.

BrightSource Energy of Oakland will build the plants in the Southern California desert and sell the power to PG&E. Fields of mirrors at each plant will focus sunlight on centralized towers, boiling water within the towers, creating steam, and turning turbines. The first plant could open in 2012 at the Ivanpah Dry Lake bed in San Bernardino County.

PG&E and BrightSource already have a history. Last year, PG&E agreed to buy as much as 900 MW from three solar power plants BrightSource planned to build. The deal greatly expands that agreement, with PG&E potentially buying 1,310 MW.

Earlier this year, the five-year-old company signed an agreement to supply 1,300 MW of electricity to Southern California Edison in what was then considered the world's largest solar deal. The new PG&E agreement just barely tops it.