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Scatec solar completes 104 MW solar plant in Utah
15.12.15INTPOW member Scatec Solar has now formally commissioned the 104 MW (dc) photovoltaic solar plant in Parowan, Utah. The Utah Red Hills Renewable Park (URHRP) is Utah's first utility-scale solar plant and will more than double the state's current solar footprint. The plant was commissioned on schedule and constructed in less than a year.
When the plant is fully operational within a week after the commissioning, it will generate around 210 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year, equivalent to the electric power used by approximately 18,500 homes annually, to be fed into the grid under a twenty-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with PacifiCorp's Rocky Mountain Power, according to the utility's obligation under the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA).
With its sunny days and cool temperatures, Utah is one of the top seven states in the United States with the greatest potential solar capacity. In 2008, Utah enacted the Energy Resource and Carbon Emission Reduction Initiative, setting a renewable portfolio goal of 20 percent by 2025, requiring utilities to pursue renewable energy to the extent that it is cost-effective to do so. With the Red Hills project, Utah is the first state to build a solar plant greater than 80MW (ac) without a more aggressive Renewable Portfolio Standard.
Scatec Solar has been publicly recognised for its role in pioneering utility-scale solar in Utah. Utah Clean Energy recently named Scatec Solar its 2015 Clean Energy MVP for the company's contributions to advancing clean energy solutions in Utah and the West. Specifically, the company was honored for its role in enabling Utah's first utility-scale solar plant and for helping lead the way to enable nearly a gigawatt of renewable energy projects in Utah. The team is currently developing a second 80 MW (ac) photovoltaic solar plant in Iron County, Utah-the Three Peaks Power Plant.
Total investment for the plant has been estimated at USD 188 million-with Google providing tax equity, Prudential Capital Group providing debt financing, and Scatec Solar providing sponsor equity. The power plant will be wholly-owned by a partnership jointly owned by Google and Scatec Solar. Scatec Solar will manage and operate the plant.
Source: Scatec Solar
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