California utility Pacific Gas and Electric Company (NYSE: PCG) announced today that it has signed contracts with BrightSource Energy, Inc. for up to 900 megawatts (MW) of solar thermal power.
The first three contracts are for a total of 500 MW of power to be supplied from three solar thermal electric generating projects that have yet to be built. PG&E also signed two contracts for options on an additional 400 MW of solar power.
The first of the concentrating solar power plants, sized at 100 MW in Ivanpah, California, could be operating as early as 2011 and is expected to produce 246,000 megawatt hours of renewable electricity per year. BrightSource said it will build additional plants as quickly as permitting and infrastructure allow.
The contracts filed today with the California Public Utilities Commission are part of PG&E’s broader renewable energy portfolio, as it attempts to adhere to California law requiring investor-owned utilities to increase renewable energy sources to 20% by 2010.
PG&E, which last week announced a decentralized rooftop solar plan, has made contractual commitments to have over 20% of its future deliveries from renewables, according to a release. renewable sources.
About BrightSource Energy, Inc.
BrightSource Energy designs and builds large-scale power plants capable of delivering solar energy to industrial and utility customers at prices competitive with fossil fuels.
Luz II, Ltd., a subsidiary of BrightSource Energy, is located in Israel and is responsible for solar technology development and the supply of solar fields to BrightSource plants.
BrightSource Energy is headquartered in Oakland, California. Further information for BrightSource and Luz II may be found at www.brightsourceenergy.com.
About Pacific Gas and Electric Co.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation, is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 15 million people in northern and central California.
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