Located on 2,400 of land between Yuma and Phoenix, the plant will generate enough electricity to meet the needs of about 230,000 homes at peak capacity.
Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) will buy electricity generated by the plant under a 25-year power purchase agreement.
US-based PV modules manufacturer First Solar designed and constructed the project, which will avoid 324,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
First Solar will operate and maintain the facility, which features the company’s advanced thin-film photovoltaic modules.
NRG Solar president Tom Doyle said large-scale utility accomplishments, like the company’s Agua Caliente project, raise the bar in terms of its clean-energy technology and production.
"Proving that we can build both the world’s largest solar thermal and now one of the world’s largest solar photovoltaic facilities advances NRG’s mission to reshape the energy landscape that is incredibly beneficial to both the economy and in how we produce and consume energy," Doyle added.
The US Energy Department provided a $967m loan guarantee for the Agua Caliente project, which is claimed to be the world’s largest PV solar facility.
