EDF and First Solar announce venture to build largest solar manufacturing plant in France

EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN) and First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) today announced a venture to build France's largest solar panel manufacturing plant. With an initial annual capacity of more than 100MWp, the plant will produce solar panels made with First Solar's advanced, thin-film photovoltaic technology. This new venture will support the recently announced goal of the French government to become a leader in sustainable energy technologies including solar electricity. At full production, projected for the second half of 2011, the plant will employ more than 300 people.

Under the terms of the arrangement, First Solar will build and operate the plant in France. The plant represents an expected investment of more than EUR 90 million. The initial annualized capacity of the plant is expected to exceed 100MWp, making it the largest manufacturing facility for solar panels in France. EDF Energies Nouvelles has agreed to finance half of the capital expense and plant start-up costs and will benefit from the plant's entire output for the first 10 years. First Solar and EDF EN intend to announce their decision on the site location within the next few months.

The investment decision was announced in the presence of French Sustainable Development Minister Jean-Louis Borloo. "I salute the decision of EDF Energies Nouvelles and First Solar to invest and create jobs in France's solar sector, which has begun to take off since the Grenelle de l'Environnement," he said. "This investment represents a veritable turning point for the photovoltaic industry and confirms that France is more than ever in a position to play a leading role globally."

Pâris Mouratoglou, Chairman of the Board of EDF Energies Nouvelles, said, "This agreement represents a key milestone in the strategy of our group, which has the ambition to be a global leader in solar energy." The company successfully raised EUR 500 million last year to finance its expansion in the photovoltaic sector. It has set itself a target of installing 500MWp in photovoltaic capacity for its own account by 2012. "Securing a competitive supply is essential for us to participate in the development of a large French solar market," he said.

"We have successfully built a number of projects with First Solar panels. This strategic agreement is the result of a relationship built on trust and offers our two groups solid and promising potential," he said.

Mike Ahearn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of First Solar, said, "The decision to invest in France reflects our firm belief in the French market and its great potential. It represents a vote of confidence in the policies being developed by the French government since the Grenelle de l'Environnement to promote renewable energies and allow solar electricity to compete economically with other forms of energy."

"This decision by First Solar and EDF EN is a sign of our shared commitment to the future of solar electricity," Mr. Ahearn said. "We commend President Nicolas Sarkozy's leadership in promoting long-term policies to build a more sustainable energy future not just for France but the world. Countries that create market frameworks that enable solar and other renewable energies to achieve commercial scale will reap the greatest benefits in private sector investment, technological innovation and job creation." The long-term commitments of the French Government to provide the policy and regulatory frameworks that enable robust solar markets and of EDF EN to invest in developing and expanding the French market were key factors in our decision to invest in France, he said.

First Solar's manufacturing site will also include a facility for recycling solar panels, France's first such facility and Europe's only solar panel recycling plant outside of Germany.

Duke Energy to Build up to 400 'Mini' Solar Power Plants in North Carolina

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) will build between 100 and 400 electricity-generating mini solar power plants throughout North Carolina over the next two years in one of the first large-scale initiatives of its kind in the U.S., CEO Jim Rogers said today.

"Solar and wind are both going to be key parts of our strategy going forward," Rogers told reporters following the company's annual meeting.

The North Carolina Utilities Commission on Wednesday issued a decision allowing Duke Energy to proceed with its $50-million proposal to install solar panels on the roofs and grounds of homes, schools, office buildings, shopping malls, warehouses and industrial plants, starting later this year.

Collectively, the solar sites will generate enough electricity to power 1,300 homes.

The electricity will flow directly from the solar sites to the electrical grid that serves all customers.

Duke Energy's solar initiative will be among the nation's first and largest demonstrations of distributed generation, in which electricity is produced at numerous micro generating sites rather than at a large, centralized, traditional power plant.

"We are redefining our boundaries. We're looking ahead and we're looking around the corner," Rogers told shareholders attending the meeting. "We believe the future is a low-carbon world. The 21st century mission of our company is to decarbonize our energy supply and provide universal access to energy efficiency."

Duke Energy will own and maintain the solar panels during their expected 25-year lifespan. The company also will own the electricity generated.

It will pay a rental fee to property owners who host the panels for use of their roofs or land, based on the size of the installation and amount of electricity generated at any given site.

Property owners interested in having their home, business or land considered as a potential solar site can register online at www.duke-energy.com/solar-host.

Properties must be located in North Carolina and currently served by Duke Energy.

Public Service Commission of Maryland selects CPower to help prevent energy supply shortfall with demand response

CPower, a leading energy management firm, today announced that it has entered into contracts with three major Maryland utilities – Allegheny Power, Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO) and Delmarva Power and Light Company – to provide demand response capacity in times of peak energy demand for the 2011– 2016 time period. Combined with existing contracts in the PJM Interconnection region, CPower will now provide an estimated 200 megawatts (MW) of capacity in the area.

In 2008, the Public Service Commission of Maryland determined that possible construction delays in new transmission projects could leave Maryland dangerously short of electric supply as early as 2011. Determined to find the least expensive way of ensuring reliable electric service for Maryland residents, the Commission examined many possible new sources of electric supply, and turned to demand response. In Order 82511, the Commission specifically pointed to the benefits of demand response, stating that "demand response resources now represent a reasonable, low-cost hedge against demand growth and potential reliability shortfalls."

Through its Maryland contracts, CPower will manage the enrollment and participation of the utilities' electricity customers in demand response. Participating customers will reduce their electricity consumption during periods of peak demand, providing a reliable supply of electricity back to the grid and helping to prevent brownouts and blackouts. In return, customers will receive payments for their participation.

"The Commission's decision truly validates the use of demand response as a reliable energy alternative," said Gary Fromer, CPower CEO. "This is one of the first times a state has dealt with a pending energy crisis using demand response rather than by building new power plants, which we applaud."

CPower's contracts with Maryland utilities are the fourth, fifth, and sixth the company has been awarded this past year. Previous contract wins include the Ontario Power Authority, the Central Vermont Public Service and Southern California Edison.
http://www.cpowered.com

Florida Power &Light Announces World’s Largest Photovoltaic Solar Project

Florida Power & Light Company, a subsidiary of clean energy leader FPL Group, Inc. (NYSE:FPL), today announced new solar energy projects that include the world’s largest photovoltaic solar plant and first “hybrid” energy center, coupling solar thermal technology with an existing combined-cycle generation unit.

“Pending regulatory approval, FPL will build 110 megawatts of solar power right here in the Sunshine State, making Florida No. 2 in the nation for solar energy,” FPL Group Chairman and CEO Lewis Hay, III announced today at the 2008 Florida Summit on Global Climate Change in Miami. “This is made possible in part by the strong support and determined leadership of Governor Crist and the Florida legislature, who crafted a progressive energy bill that put a supportive policy framework in place for solar power.”

Along with a previously announced photovoltaic solar installation at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the projects will generate 110 megawatts of emissions-free electricity. The projects are:
- The DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center. Planned for construction to commence by year-end 2008 on FPL-owned property in DeSoto County, Fla., the DeSoto project will provide 25 megawatts of photovoltaic solar capacity, making it the world’s largest photovoltaic solar facility.
- The Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center. Planned for construction to commence by the beginning of 2009 at FPL’s existing Martin Plant site, the Martin project will provide up to 75 megawatts of solar thermal capacity in an innovative “hybrid” design that will connect to an existing combined-cycle power plant. When the power of the sun is producing electricity from steam, less fossil fuel is required.
- The Space Coast Next Generation Solar Energy Center. Planned for construction to commence by the beginning of 2009 at the Kennedy Space Center, the Space Coast project will provide 10 megawatts of photovoltaic solar capacity in an innovative public-private partnership.
These projects represent an accelerated implementation schedule of the commitments the company made at the Clinton Global Initiative in September 2007, which called for an initial 10 megawatt trial followed by the construction of 300 megawatts of solar power in Florida and 500 megawatts nationwide over seven years. With today’s announcement, FPL is meeting more than one-third of its Florida target in under a year.

Environmental Benefits
Together, the three sites will prevent the release of nearly 3.5 million tons of greenhouse gases over the life of the projects, which is the equivalent of removing 25,000 cars from the road per year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, photovoltaic solar systems, which convert sunlight directly to electricity, consume no fuel, use no water, and produce no waste. Solar thermal systems, which use the power of the sun to produce electricity from steam, use no fossil fuel, no additional cooling water and produce zero greenhouse gas emissions.

The 110 megawatts of photovoltaic solar and solar thermal power announced by FPL today is in addition to 250 megawatts of solar thermal power announced by FPL Energy on March 26. Together, the projects will dramatically extend FPL Group’s lead as the world’s No. 1 producer of solar energy. FPL Group is also the nation’s No. 1 producer of wind power.

The company has secured the necessary zoning approval and has access to the necessary transmission infrastructure for all three projects. The Martin and DeSoto County projects will be built entirely on FPL-owned land. FPL submitted a petition on May 16 to the Florida Public Service Commission to commence regulatory approval to build the three projects.

A Record of Clean Energy Leadership
With the announcement of these solar projects, FPL Group is further demonstrating its commitment to improving the environment and expanding its renewable energy portfolio:
- FPL is the nation’s No. 1 utility for energy conservation, according to U.S. Department of Energy data. FPL’s conservation programs have helped the company avoid the need to build 12 medium-sized power plants since 1980, more than any other utility.
- FPL Energy operates the world’s largest solar thermal field in California’s Mojave Desert and is the nation’s largest wind power company, with 5,410 megawatts of installed capacity at 56 sites in 16 states.
- Overall, FPL Group’s generation fleet, with a capacity of 38,105 megawatts, has one of the lowest carbon dioxide emission rates in the country.
In addition, FPL Group is one of the electric power industry’s strongest advocates for a mandatory, nationwide policy to place a price on carbon dioxide emissions. Hay has testified before Congress in support of a national carbon fee as the most efficient and effective way to slow, stop and eventually reverse the build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. He has also expressed support for a cap-and-trade program that requires carbon emitters to bear the cost of their emissions rather than shift those costs onto society and incorporates appropriate price controls during the early transition years to minimize disruptions to the economy.

http://www.fpl.com/, http://www.fplgroup.com/, http://www.fplenergy.com/.

SDG&E Adds 40 Megawatts of Geothermal Energy

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) today announced that it has signed a power-purchase agreement with Esmeralda Truckhaven to supply 40 megawatts (MW) of geothermal energy to the region's electric system. This latest agreement will boost SDG&E's total geothermal energy supply to 60 MW produced from Esmeralda facilities located in Imperial County, Calif.

A megawatt is the equivalent energy needed to power 650 homes.

"The Imperial County is a renewable mecca for our region's future energy supply," said Debra L. Reed, president and chief executive officer of SDG&E. "As we continue to aggressively seek out renewable sources of energy to meet the state's 20-percent-by-2010 mandate, we will look to renewable developers such as Esmeralda to help us expand our renewable energy footprint throughout the county."

Geothermal energy is generated by using heat from beneath the earth's surface to form electricity. It continues to be the largest producing renewable source of energy in California that develops "green" electricity 24 hours a day.

In addition to the Esmeralda contract, SDG&E added to its renewable-energy portfolio last week when the company received approval of its Envirepel agreement from the California Public Utilities Commission. The Envirepel agreement is for 1.5 MW of biomass energy to be produced at a facility being developed in Vista, Calif.

Today, five percent of SDG&E's energy-resource mix comes from renewable resources such as wind, solar, biomass and geothermal. SDG&E has continuously pursued renewable energy with market solicitations every year since 2002. In the most recent solicitation, developers bid more than 5,000 MW of renewable energy for a majority of projects that would be built in the Imperial Valley.

The 2008 renewables solicitation will be issued later this month.

Source: SDG&E

PG&E signs first U.S. agreement to buy ocean energy

Utility Pacific Gas and Electric Company became the country's first utility on Tuesday to agree to buy renewable electricity made by the ebb and flow of ocean waves.
The energy will be captured by several buoys bobbing 2.5 miles off the California coast and then transmitted to shore by an undersea cable. At peak times, the electricity will light at least 1,400 homes.
"This is a first," said Robert Thresher of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, part of the U.S. Department of Energy. "It implies that someone with money and experience is willing to invest and take a chance on this technology, which could be as popular as wind technology in only a few decades."
There is enough ocean wave energy surging off U.S. coasts to match the power generated from the country's hydroelectric dams, which account for 6.5 percent of its electricity use, said Roger Bedard, a specialist at the Energy Power Research Institute.
Harnessing the power of the ocean has been difficult and power obtained from tides and waves is, to date, barely measurable, according to the International Energy Agency. Yet demand for non-carbon and sustainable energy is growing.
"We are very optimistic about the potential for wave energy," said Jennifer Zerwer, a spokesperson for PG&E, which currently produces about 12 percent of its electricity from renewable sources. "We are even interested in generating tidal energy from the San Francisco Bay."
In this small program, PG&E has agreed to buy 3,854 megawatt-hours annually from Finavera Renewables Inc., a Canadian firm building the buoy system. The two-megawatt system expected to come online in 2012 off the coast of Eureka in northern California, a particularly windy and wavy area.
Neither company would disclose how much the installation will cost, how long the contract lasts, or how much PG&E will pay for the power. Industry experts say wave energy costs about $8-$12 million per megawatt.
"We believe the price will be significantly lower than that," said Myke Clark, a spokesman for Finavera Renewables. "But the reason this agreement is important is that it proves there is a demand out there for wave energy."
Local environmentalists say they will be watching what effect the installation has on the local habitat for Dungeness crab or on the ability of whales to migrate up the coast.
"On the other hand, as an environmentalist, I also see the advantage of weaning ourselves off fossil fuels," said Pete Nichols, executive director of Humboldt Baykeeper, an environmental organization. "I would say I'm a skeptical optimist."