Arizona

SunEdison and MIC Solar Energy Complete 16.4 MW PV Solar Plant on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base

SunEdison and MIC Solar Energy Holdings completed a 16.4 MW PV solar power plant located outside Tucson, Arizona on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (AFB). The project was developed with a public/private alliance between Davis-Monthan AFB, SunEdison, The North American Development Bank (NADB), MIC Solar Energy Holdings, Chevron Energy Solutions and local officials. MIC Solar Energy Holdings took ownership of the project and SunEdison Renewable Operation Center (ROC) will manage plant operations through a contract with MIC Solar Energy Holdings.

Complying with 111(d)

Exploring the cap-and-invest option.

EPA is expected to provide states with latitude in meeting Clean Air Act GHG standards. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) demonstrates an effective and economical approach: “cap and invest.”

Digest

Danish utility orders 582 MW of Siemens offshore wind turbines; Maui Electric contracts Greenlots and ABB for electric vehicle fast-charging system; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contracts Eaton for alternative energy and conservation projects at army facilities; Southern Company and Turner Renewable Energy acquire SunEdison project in California; FERC approves Columbia Gas and Williams Partners pipeline expansion projects; plus contracts and announcements from Entergy, ITC Holdings, California ISO, PG&E, MidAmerican Transmission, Citizens Energy, CPS Energy, and others.

Digest

Siemens and Accenture joint venture on smart grid management systems; CenterPoint picks Itron for RF meter rollout; Memphis picks Elster electric, gas, and water AMI system; TransAlta acquires Wyoming wind farm from NextEra; NRG acquires Edison Mission Energy assets; Google to invest in Imperial Valley solar project; Sempra acquires Nebraska wind project; plus contracts and announcements from Babcock & Wilcox, Echelon, PJM, California ISO, and others.

Washington Gas Energy Systems Signs Contract to Build Solar Array for Tuscon Electric Power

Washington Gas Energy Systems signed a contract with Tucson Electric Power (TEP) to build, own and operate a one-MW Cogenra Solar array that will provide renewable energy to the utility in Tucson, Arizona. The installation, awarded through a previous TEP RFP process, will consist of ground-mounted Cogenra T14 systems and will be constructed at Solar Zone within the University of Arizona’s Science & Technology Park (UA Tech Park). The facility will be owned and operated by Washington Gas Energy Systems under a 20-year PPA with TEP.

AEG Power Solutions and skytron deliver 5.8 MWp PV Installation in Arizona

AEG Power Solutions (AEG PS) and its subsidiary skytron energy successfully deployed a 5.8-MWp commercial PV installation for PPA Partners, a national renewable energy development company in Yuma, Arizona. The PV installation covers four individual sites, each divided into multiple sub-sites, and a mix of rooftop, ground, and carport installations. The solution included AEG PS’ Protect PV.500 inverters, which feature power stacks with advanced measuring and control technology to enable DC input voltages of up to 1000 VDC.

Solana, the First Large-Scale Solar Plant with Thermal Energy Storage in the U.S., Passes Commerical Operation Tests

Abengoa announced that Solana, the world´s largest parabolic trough plant and also the first solar plant in the United States with thermal energy storage, has successfully passed commercial operation tests. A thermal energy storage system allows Solana to generate electricity for six hours without the concurrent use of the solar field. This technology consists of parabolic shaped mirrors mounted on structures that track the sun and concentrate the sun's heat, later transforming water into steam and powering a conventional steam turbine.

Sempra Dedicates 150 MW First Phase of Arizona PV Project

Sempra U.S. Gas & Power dedicated the 150-MW first phase of the Mesquite Solar facility, located in Arlington, Ariz., about 40 miles west of Phoenix. Sempra says that when it’s complete, the Mesquite Solar Complex will be North America’s largest PV installation. Construction began in June 2011 Pacific Gas & Electric will purchase the output under a 20-year contract. With Mesquite 1 operating, Sempra U.S. Gas & Power’sportfolio reaches 300 MW. 

127-MG Utility-Scale Solar Installation Opens in Arizona

LS Power to officially open the Arlington Valley (AV) Solar II utility-scale installation in southwest Arizona. Kyocera Solar provided 25 MW of solar modules for the 127-MW PV installation. Block 1 of the five-section installation is now live, with the remaining sections expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2013. Once complete, the project’s 127-MW-generating capacity will place it among the largest solar PV installations in North America.