Energy company Salt River Project (SRP) has selected Iberdrola Renewables Inc. (IBR.MC; IRVSF.PK) to build and operate a 20-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) power facility in Arizona.
Mark Bonsall, SRP’s associate general manager for Commercial and Customer Services, said the solar facility, when completed, would be the largest utility-scale solar photovoltaic facility of its kind in Arizona, producing enough power to serve more than 4,500 homes.
The planned facility, to be constructed in SRP’s electric service territory in the southeast Valley, would be designed and constructed by Iberdrola Renewables.
The contract for output from the proposed solar plant will likely be presented to SRP’s Board in January for final approval. Management is expected to first present the proposal to purchase the output for a term of 20 to 25 years to the SRP Power Committee at its meeting in December. If approved, the project has a scheduled 2011 on-line completion date.
"We want to be in a position to offer our customers a new, lower-cost solar energy option by giving them the opportunity to purchase the green power directly from this solar facility. SRP will utilize whatever output may not be subscribed by our customers, if any," Bonsall said.
This would be the second large renewable power project in which SRP has partnered with Portland, Ore.-based Iberdrola Renewables. Last month, the Dry Lake Wind Farm was dedicated as Arizona’s first commercial-scale wind power project. Located in Navajo County about 18 miles northwest of Snowflake, the Dry Lake facility generates enough electricity to power more than 15,000 SRP customers’ homes.
Iberdrola Renewables, the world’s largest wind power developer, also brings experience in developing solar power facilities across the United States and a total of 50 megawatts of solar projects in operation around the world.
SRP is the largest provider of electricity in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, serving about 935,000 customers in Maricopa and Pinal counties.
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