NRG Solar has entered into a 20-year power purchase agreement with El Paso Electric, an electric utility, to sell the power output from the Roadrunner solar project.
NRG Solar plans to invest a maximum of $21m over the next three years on the project, which is expected to meet the energy demands of approximately 16,000 New Mexico families at full capacity.
The company has selected First Solar to provide engineering, construction and procurement services for the project using its advanced thin film PV solar modules.
The Roadrunner solar power project is estimated to avoid annual emissions of 27,000 tons of carbon when compared to traditional fossil-fueled generation and create as many as 240 construction jobs.
NRG Energy president and CEO David Crane said that the merits of solar power — zero-emission, sustainable, coincident with peak demand, compliant with state renewable portfolio standards — are clear.
