Southern California Edison (SCE) (NYSE: EIX) awarded 36 contracts to independent power producers for a total of nearly 60 megawatts (MW) from photovoltaic solar panels.
The panels will be installed on 31 unused rooftops and five ground-mount sites in SCE’s service territory.
The solar rooftop project, approved by the California Public Utilities Commission in June 2009, calls for a total of 500 MW of solar generating capacity, most of it on otherwise unused large warehouse rooftops. Half of the 500 MW will be from independent power producers who respond to SCE’s request for offers under competitive solicitations; the remaining 250 MW will be owned and operated by SCE. It is expected that this project will create about 1,200 solar jobs for Southern Californians.
The contracts awarded today are the first executed under the competitive solicitations for independent power producers.
Companies receiving contracts include Tioga Solar, SunEdison Utility Solutions, Golden Solar, Photon, Solar Power and Cascade Solar.
SCE says its solar rooftop project will be a boon for the solar industry and consumers alike, with the resulting cost per unit significantly more cost effective than more common residential photovoltaic installations in California. Eventually, this could help drive down installation costs of photovoltaic generation for everyone. When complete, the solar panels will cover an area totaling 4 square miles on about 250 otherwise unused warehouse roofs. The total power production will rival a utility-scale power plant, enough electricity to serve 325,000 average homes at a point in time. SCE has already installed panels on three rooftop warehouses in California’s Inland Empire.
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