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Politics : Rat's Nest - Chronicles of Collapse -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (9629)	10/16/2009 7:06:16 PM
From: Wharf Rat	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 24213

California Utility Taps Arizona Solar Project By Todd Woody Pacific Gas and Electric, the big California utility, asked regulators on Thursday to approve the purchase of electricity from an Arizona solar power plant. The request came days after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation that would have limited utilities’ ability to tap out-of-state projects to meet renewable energy mandates. NextLight Renewable Power will construct the 290-megawatt Aqua Caliente photovoltaic farm on private land in Yuma County, Ariz. The company, based in San Francisco, signed a deal with P.G.&E. in June to supply 230 megawatts from a solar power plant to be built outside of Los Angeles. The legislation vetoed by Mr. Schwarzenegger on Sunday would have required California utilities to obtain 33 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020, mostly from in-state projects. Environmental groups and unions supported that provision as a way to limit the need to build new transmission lines and to keep construction jobs in California. But the governor said it would hamstring utilities from complying with the 33 percent target, which he supports. According to the utility’s filing on Thursday, Arizona regulators have already approved the project and NextLight expects to obtain county building permits within a few months. In contrast, the licensing of a solar power plant in California can take years. The Agua Caliente project is also located near existing transmission lines that connect to California’s power grid. If the California Public Utilities Commission approves the 28-year contract, construction will begin in 2010 and electricity will begin to be generated by 2012 as the first phase of the solar farm comes online. The entire project is set to be completed by 2014. NextLight Renewable expects the power plant to create 300 to 400 construction jobs with a permanent staff of 20 to 50, according to the filing. greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com