First Solar Inc., a manufacturer of solar energy products and services, will build two large-scale solar power plants in California for power utility Southern California Edison (SCE). According to a joint company statement, First Solar will begin with a 250-megawatt "Desert Sunlight" plant, known as "Desert Sunlight," near Desert Center in Riverside County, with construction on a 300-megawatt "Stateline" plant in northeastern San Bernardino County slated to start in 2013; both projects are expected to be completed in 2015. Upon completion, the two plants will produce approximately 1.2 billion kilowatt hours of clean energy per year. "Supplying solar power to Southern California Edison and its customers advances our mission of providing clean, affordable, and sustainable solar energy," says John Carrington, a First Solar vice president. "These projects will help California reach its renewable energy goals, and are powerful examples of large-scale photovoltaic solar generation becoming a reality in the United States." The Phoenix Business Journal reports that SCE will purchase the power from First Solar under a 20-year contract; no financial details were released.
