Spanish renewable energy company Iberdrola Renovables is set to build two solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants in the US with aggregate capacity of 50MW.

Construction of the 30MW Alamosa facility, which will be located beside Mosca, Colorado, is expected to begin at the end of this year and is slated for start-up towards the end of 2011.

The 20MW Copper Crossing solar park will be built in Pinal County in the state of Arizona and is expected to be commissioned in June 2011.

The company has signed power purchase agreements with state utility Public Service Company of Colorado for the Alamosa project and with private utility Salt River Project for the Copper Crossing solar park.

These two projects come under Iberdrola Renovables’ strategy of investing in non-wind opportunities (97% of the company’s capacity is wind technology) that meet its sustainability and return criteria, the company said.