On January 26th, the Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE) board of directors approved a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) for 20 years to purchase the output from a new 200 MW solar photovoltaic power plant to be built in Merced County.
This is enough solar energy to power over 75,0000 average California households.The Wright Solar Park is being developed by San Mateo-based Frontier Renewables LLC, a project development company focused on utility-scale solar photovoltaic technology (PV).
This project will be built specifically to provide renewable energy for PCE customers in San Mateo County. Frontier Renewables has already secured an interconnection agreement, land rights, and federal permits for the project, which will set aside conservation land to mitigate for any potential impacts.
PCE’s board of local elected officials unanimously approved the agreement. “A major goal of Peninsula Clean Energy is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging the development of new renewable energy projects. We are thrilled that the Wright Solar Park project will be built to serve the residents and businesses of San Mateo County,” noted San Mateo County Supervisor and PCE Board Chair Dave Pine.
Construction of Wright Solar Park is expected to begin in late 2017 and the plant will begin generating clean power in late 2018. The Wright Solar Park has a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) in 2014 with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Ironworkers and Operating Engineers for the construction of the solar project. It is expected to have a peak construction labor force of 355 workers and will create the equivalent of 664 job-years during the construction phase. The Wright Solar Park project is designed to operate for 35+ years and will employ approximately 6-10 full time positions for maintenance and operations for the duration of the project’s life.
“Frontier Renewables is excited to partner with Peninsula Clean Energy to provide clean renewable energy for San Mateo County, where our company is based,” stated CEO Balduin Hesse. “We’re proud that Wright Solar Park will be a major contributor to the ambitious clean energy goals of PCE and the State of California.”
PCE also approved short-term PPAs for three run-of-river hydropower projects located in Shasta County, including Hatchet Creek with 7.5 megawatt capacity, and Roaring Creek and Bidwell Ditch with 2 megawatt capacity each.
About Peninsula Clean Energy
Peninsula Clean Energy, or PCE, is San Mateo County’s official electricity provider. PCE is a public, locally-controlled community choice energy program that provides all electric customers in San Mateo County the choice of having electricity supplied from clean, renewable sources at competitive rates. PCE’s ECOplus option is 50% renewable and 75% greenhouse gas emissions free, and PCE’s ECO100 option is 100% renewable and 100% greenhouse gas emissions free. The Peninsula Clean Energy Authority, formed in March 2016, is a joint powers authority made up of the County of San Mateo
and all 20 cities in the County. PCE currently serves approximately 80,000 accounts, and will serve approximately 300,000 accounts by May 2017 when its enrollment process is complete.
About Frontier Renewables
Frontier Renewables, headquartered in San Mateo, California, is a global project developer focused on utility scale solar photovoltaic technology (PV). The company provides competitively priced clean energy to utilities, municipalities, corporations and other large energy consumers. Frontier has strong local experience in project development including site acquisition, interconnection, local/state/federal permitting and power marketing. Frontier has a proven ability to develop and complete strategically located, cost-effective projects through long-standing relationships with landowners, utilities, government agencies, regulators and other stakeholders.
