Paving the way for more large-scale renewable energy partnerships with CCAs
SALT LAKE CITY: sPower, an industry leader in solar and wind assets, working collaboratively with MCE, announced that they recently achieved commercial operations on a 130 MWdc solar project in Lancaster, California. The project, named Antelope Expansion 2, completed by sPower in December of 2018, will sell output to MCE under a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). While California is home to many large solar projects, this is the largest one completed to-date in California with a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA). CCAs broaden the potential for renewables by allowing cities and counties to bring customers together to leverage individual purchasing power within a defined jurisdiction.
Antelope Expansion 2 is the second solar facility where sPower and MCE have partnered to bring more solar on-line. This project provides meaningful benefits to the community, it produces enough electricity to power over 26,000 homes and eliminates over 217,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. While under construction, this project provided meaningful economic benefits locally in the over 261,000 union labor hours worked from the Southern California Trade Unions, including Laborers Local 300, Operators Local 12, Ironworkers Local 433 & 416 and IBEW Local 11.
“MCE is proud to partner with sPower and unions to continue supporting the green jobs and renewable energy projects that will both bolster local communities and evolve into the cornerstone of the state’s new economy,” said Dawn Weisz, CEO of MCE. “Projects like this demonstrate MCE’s mission to offer the 60-100 percent renewable energy options that helped MCE customers meet California’s SB 100 renewable energy targets 11 years ahead of schedule.”
“The project is indicative of the trend of CCAs taking a leadership position in renewable procurement within California,” said Hans Isern, sPower’s Senior Vice President of Origination. “CCAs are giving electric customers in California the ability to select a cleaner source of power from in-state projects, which also helps provide more opportunities for local businesses, labor unions, and communities within the state.”
About sPower:
sPower, an AES and AIMCo company, is the largest private owner of operating solar assets in the United States. sPower owns and operates a portfolio of solar and wind assets greater than 1,500 MW and has a development pipeline of more than 10,000 MW. sPower is owned by a joint venture partnership between The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES), a worldwide energy company headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, and the Alberta Investment Management Corporation, one of Canada’s largest and most diversified institutional investment fund managers. For more information, visit www.sPower.com.
About MCE:
MCE is California’s first Community Choice Aggregation Program, a not-for-profit, public agency that began service in 2010 with the goals of providing cleaner power at stable rates to its customers, reducing greenhouse emissions, and investing in targeted energy programs that support communities’ energy needs. MCE is a load-serving entity supporting ~1,000 MW peak load. MCE provides electricity service to approximately 470,000 customer accounts and over 1M residents and businesses in 34 member communities across 4 Bay Area counties: Napa, Marin, Contra Costa, and Solano.
MCE offers 3 renewable energy products: Light Green (60% renewable); Deep Green (sourced from 100% in-state solar + wind); and Local Sol (100% locally-produced solar). MCE continues to exceed state renewable energy supply standards and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets. MCE achieved California’s renewable energy goals 11 years ahead of state targets, and will meet GHG-free goals 23 years early. For more information about MCE, visit mceCleanEnergy.org.
