Pacific Gas and Electric has announced plans for a five-year program to develop up to 500MW of clean solar photovoltaic power in its northern and central California service area.
The proposed program consists of up to 250MW of utility-owned photovoltaic (PV) generation and an additional 250MW to be built and owned by independent developers under a streamlined regulatory process.
Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) said that it is submitting its plan to the California Public Utilities Commission for approval, which could come later in 2009.
If all projects are up and running by 2015, they are expected to deliver more than 1,000GWh of power each year, equal to the annual consumption of about 150,000 average homes. In all, this program would meet over 1.3% of PG&E’s electric demand.
Peter Darbee, CEO and president of PG&E, said: This program represents an unprecedented commitment of our capital and expertise to speed the delivery of clean, renewable energy to our customers. With many renewable-energy projects delayed, we can’t afford business as usual when it comes to protecting the environment and meeting our customers’ expectations.
