The City of Mendota, will soon be home to the largest photovoltaic (PV) installation in California.
Scheduled to begin operation in the spring of 2009, the 5-megawatt (MW) utility-scale solar facility, dubbed "CalRENEW-1," is being developed by San Francisco-based Cleantech America Inc., and will sell electricity to Pacific Gas & Electric.
Cleantech has pledged $20,000 to the City of Mendota for a new vocational education program to help train workers in solar power installation and maintenance.
Cleantech’s CEO Bill Barnes, said the company is planning future solar farm development on nearby land within the city. He said CalRENEW-1 represents a template for the rapid growth of utility scale photovoltaic solar power in California.
Barnes said. "It has zero emissions, is environmentally beneficial and easily permitted, so it’s available near-term. And it is close to where the electricity is needed, so it can provide peak power when most needed, during the hottest times of hottest days of the year."
Mendota Mayor Robert Silva said the installation is the perfect fit for his city, because of its young population that has great enthusiasm for renewable energy. "We want to improve our air quality, create new solar jobs for our families, and secure our energy future by becoming self-sufficient."
CalRENEW-1 will be designed, built and operated by Cleantech America’s enterprise partner, the California Construction Authority (CCA), a California Joint Powers Authority which has 8 MW of photovoltaic solar in operation on 28 facilities at state fairgrounds and race tracks including the 800 kW solar installation at the Big Fresno Fair.
Cleantech America’s primary business is generating photovoltaic peak power for sale to utilities, municipalities and other customers.
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