Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E)(NYSE: PCG) expanded its power purchase contracts with solar thermal developer BrightSource Energy to include seven projects and 1,310 megawatts (MW).
The power purchase agreements supersede the agreements PG&E signed with BrightSource in April 2008 for up to 900 MW of solar thermal power.
No financial terms were disclosed.
The first of these solar power plants, sized at 110 MW and located in Ivanpah, Calif., is contracted to begin operation in 2012. BrightSource plans to build and place in commercial operation each of its plants as quickly as permitting and infrastructure allow.
All seven projects are expected to produce 3,666 gigawatt-hours of power each year, equal to the annual consumption of about 530,000 average homes.
John Conway, senior vice president of energy supply for PG&E, said, “Through these agreements with BrightSource, we can harness the sun’s energy to meet our customers’ power requirements when they need it most–during hot summer days.”
In April 2009, PG&E announced it would enter into a power purchase agreement with Solaren Corp., a company pursuing space-based solar power generation.
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