Cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film photovoltaic module maker First Solar Inc of Tempe, AZ, USA has agreed to sell the 250MWAC Silver State South Solar Project to a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources LLC (a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc of Juno Beach, FL). The deal is expected to close early in 2014 (subject to certain conditions).
Silver State South is located on about 3000 acres of public land in Clark County, NV. The project is adjacent to the 50MWAC Silver State North project, which was developed and built by First Solar and commissioned in 2012 (acquired by energy distributor Enbridge Inc of Calgary, Alberta, Canada).
First Solar will continue to develop and permit Silver State South, and provide engineering, procurement & construction (EPC) services for the project. Construction is expected to begin once final regulatory and permitting approvals have been received, and be completed in late 2016. At peak activity, the project will create up to 300 full-time construction jobs.
Silver State South will use First Solar's PV modules, installed on its single-axis tracker mounting system. All the power from Silver State South will be sold to Southern California Edison under a long-term power purchase agreement (signed in February 2011).
"First Solar is committed to bringing Silver State South to life as part of our growing Nevada solar power portfolio," says Tim Rebhorn, First Solar's senior VP of business development for the Americas.
"The acquisition of Silver State South is another important milestone as we continue to build our solar business," says NextEra Energy Resources' senior VP of development Mike O'Sullivan.
In mid-October, NextEra Energy Resources named First Solar as the EPC contractor for its 250MWAC McCoy Solar Energy Project in Riverside County, CA.
