The commission unanimously approved two amended BrightSource contracts with Southern California Edison (SCE), a subsidiary of electricity supply company Edison International.
Collectively, the contracts are expected to generate 1,300,000MWh annually and displace over 400,000t of carbon dioxide emissions.
The first contract includes a power tower project at BrightSource’s Rio Mesa site, projected to produce 573,000MWh annually.
The second contact will deploy BrightSource’s SolarPLUS thermal storage system at the company’s Sonoran West site, projected to generate 733,000MWh annually.
According to CPUC, "BrightSource’s technology with storage allows Southern California to optimize generation based on changing system requirements. This unique attribute decreases renewable integration risk and provides more value for ratepayers."
BrightSource Energy president and CEO John Woolard said, "The approval of these contracts allows us to build on the technology innovations deployed at our Ivanpah project, and continue driving down costs and improving efficiencies in our next generation plants, while incorporating storage into our power tower systems."
