Utility Companies Go for Solar Power

(Page 2 of 2)

March 9, 2009
From EERE Network News 
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SunPower Inc. owns the latter project, and the former project was owned by OptiSolar Inc., but First Solar Inc. just bought out all of OptiSolar's projects, including the PG&E project. In the fourth quarter of 2008, First Solar managed to cut the manufacturing cost for its thin-film solar modules to 98 cents per watt, breaking the $1-per-watt cost barrier. The company's annual production capacity is expected to exceed 1,000 megawatts per year by the end of this year.

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While California has a definite lead in solar power development, utilities in other states are now pursuing megawatt-scale solar PV projects. In New Jersey, the Public Service Electric and Gas Company has proposed to spend $773 million to support the development of 120 MW of solar PV power through many projects located throughout its service territory.

In New York, Governor David Paterson announced that the Long Island Power Authority is planning to support 50 MW of new solar power, including 13.1 MW of smaller projects developed by enXco and 36.9 MW to be installed by BP Solar in two large projects at the Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Down in the Sunshine State, Florida Power & Light has just broken ground on the DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center, a 25-MW solar PV facility that should be completed by the end of the year.

Reprinted from EERE Network News, a free newsletter of the U.S. Department of Energy.
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  • Mark James 4/12/2009 11:21:05 AM

    I think solar power by electric companies is a good idea but, what I object to the example our provider is trying to do here in Florida. Florida Power and Light (FPL) wants the State government to give them around $9 Billion dollars from taxes to develope their system. The rub with this for me comes from believing that a company should use their capital to build their business and make their profits from selling their products. Why should the people be expected to build the business for them and then not share in the profits? Somewhere along the way big business found a way to get a free ride on the taxpayers dime and then charge them a fortune for the opportunity.

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