SunEdison to develop 150 MW solar plants in Texas
SunEdison, Inc. has announced plans to develop new solar plants in West Texas to supply the City of Georgetown with 150 MW of solar power for 25-years.
The SunEdison solar plants will be interconnected in 2016, and will provide over 9,500 gigawatt-hours of clean energy to Georgetown through 2041, enough to power more than 24,000 homes a year for 25 years. Upon completion, SunEdison expects to offer this project for investment to TerraForm Power, Inc., a global owner and operator of clean energy power plants.
Paul Gaynor, Executive Vice President of North America Utility and Global Wind at SunEdison, commented:
"SunEdison is very excited to be working with Georgetown Utility Systems to provide their customers with 100% renewable, clean energy. Georgetown is an exceptional city, and by going 100% renewable they will cut down on pollution, save water, and enjoy stable energy prices. They're able to accomplish all of this without spending a penny up front with SunEdison's power purchase agreement. Georgetown is a model for other cities that hope to become powered by clean renewable energy."
Jim Briggs, interim city manager for the City and general manager for utilities, commented:
"When Georgetown Utility Systems opted to seek new sources of power in 2012, we were charged with a mission to secure the most cost effective energy that balanced risk and reward. Georgetown Utility Services isn't required to buy solar or other renewables - we did so because it will save on electricity costs and decrease our water usage. This power purchase agreement makes Georgetown Utility Systems one of the largest municipal utilities in the nation to be 100% renewable powered. It also provides a hedge against future fuel and regulatory risks."
The power purchase agreement (PPA) is one of the largest solar agreements in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) jurisdiction, and represents the largest utility scale solar agreement that SunEdison has signed in Texas to date.
SunEdison will construct the project and provide financing. Operation and maintenance of the solar power plants will be performed by SunEdison Services, which provides global 24/7 asset management, monitoring and reporting services.
