South Dakota: A Unique Fuel Mix
Chris Nelson, vice-chairman, South Dakota Pub. Utils. Comm’n
Chris Nelson, vice-chairman, South Dakota Pub. Utils. Comm’n
2015 Regulators Forum
State Utility Commissioners in Their Own Words
Southern Company subsidiary Southern Power, acquired a controlling interest in the 200- MW Tranquillity Solar Facility in California from Recurrent Energy, a subsidiary of Canadian Solar Inc. Recurrent Energy is constructing the facility and will retain the remaining interest in the project. Construction began in July, with Signal Energy Constructors managing the engineering, procurement and construction of the facility. The project is expected to enter commercial operation in the fourth quarter of 2016.
sPower acquired its first wind project, a 62.1-MW facility in Monticello, Utah. The project is scheduled to begin construction this summer and should start generating clean energy at the end of 2015. The project has a 20-year PPA with PacifiCorp, which does business as Rocky Mountain Power in Utah.
AES Distributed Energy, a subsidiary of AES, commissioned a 4-MW solar project located in Dublin, Georgia. This system is the first of two solar PV projects being developed by AES Distributed Energy and its partners, collectively expected to supply 20 MW to the Georgia Power utility grid. The second, 16 MW project, is under development and is expected to be operational in the first half of 2016.
Pattern Energy closed the previously announced acquisition of two operational wind power facilities totaling 351 MW from Wind Capital Group and its affiliates for a final purchase price of $242 million plus assumed net debt of $102 million. The acquisition includes ownership interests in the 201-MW Post Rock Wind facility in Kansas, and the 150-MW Lost Creek Wind facility in Missouri. The Post Rock Wind facility in Kansas has a long-term contract with Westar.
Southern Company subsidiary Southern Power acquired the 103-MW Butler solar facility from Community Energy. The facility, located on approximately 1,070 acres in Taylor County, Georgia, is expected to enter commercial operation in the fourth quarter of 2016. Construction is slated to begin in September 2015, with First Solar managing the building, operations and maintenance of the facility.
SunEdison was awarded contracts to build 33 MW of rooftop solar with Southern California Edison (SCE). SCE will purchase the electricity from 17 rooftop solar systems through 20-year PPA. TerraForm Power intends to acquire these projects from SunEdison upon completion. Operation and maintenance of the solar power plants will be performed by SunEdison Services. The solar power plants are scheduled to be operational in 2016.
SunEdison signed agreements with five municipal entities on Long Island to build seven solar power plants totaling 14 MW. The electricity from these power plants will be sold to the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) through separate 20-year power PPAs. The contracts with the Town of Southold, Town of Easthampton, Nassau County, Suffolk County and the Suffolk County Water Authority were awarded as part of the LIPA 100 MW Clean Solar Initiative Feed-in Tariff program.