San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has entered into two new long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) totaling 40 MW of solar power with diverse business enterprise (DBE) participation.
The first contract is DBE-owned via a partnership between Regenerate Power and DBE supplier Tallbear Solar. The second contract is with a partnership between 8minutenergy and Gestamp Solar, who has committed to contracting 50% of the project costs to diverse-owned businesses.
The first 20-year PPA is with Tallbear Seville LLC to purchase 20 MW from the Seville solar power facility northwest of Brawley, Calif., in Imperial County. When completed in 2015, the Seville project will consist of photovoltaic single-axis modules, and the power will be transported to SDG&E's customers across the 117-mile Sunrise Powerlink transmission line, which was put into service this past June.
The second 20-year PPA is to purchase 20 MW of energy from the Calipatria Solar Farm, also in Imperial County, from an 8minutenergy Renewables subsidiary and Gestamp Solar. The Calipatria project is expected to be completed in 2015, and the power from the fixed-tilt solar photovoltaic facility will also be transmitted to SDG&E's service territory via the Sunrise Powerlink.
Both solar projects will connect to SDG&E's transmission grid at the Imperial Valley Substation via the Imperial Irrigation District's transmission system.
