From Green Right Now
The California Public Utilities Commission today approved a Pacific Gas and Electric Company plan for a new solar photovoltaic program. Once complete, the utility company said the initiative will generate up to 500 megawatts of clean energy, enough to meet the needs of about 150,000 homes in PG&E’s Northern and Central California service area.
PG&E’s solar program is part of a five-year plan for up to 250 megawatts of utility-owned PV generation and another 250 megawatts provided by independent developers. The moderately sized projects targeted by PG&E’s initiative, ranging from 1 megawatt to 20 megawatts, should require less time to plan and build than many large projects that have faced lengthy delays, PG&E said.
Projects to be owned by PG&E will be located near company substations to reduce the costs and delays of interconnecting them to the power grid.
“We applaud the CPUC’s decision to approve this important renewable energy initiative and look forward to beginning its implementation,” Steve Malnight, the utility’s vice president for renewable energy, said in a statement. “This program will provide our customers with timely access to solar power and create local benefits including green jobs for the communities we serve.”
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, based in San Francisco, serves 15 million people in Northern and Central California.