Agua Caliente
In January 2012, BHE Renewables completed its acquisition of a 49 percent interest in the
290-megawatt Agua Caliente solar project from NRG Energy. NRG Energy, headquartered in Princeton, N.J., is the
majority owner of the project, having purchased 100 percent of the project from First Solar on Aug. 5, 2011.
The project, based in Yuma County, Ariz., is one of the world’s largest operating photovoltaic power plants.
The Agua Caliente project is fully operational and delivering electricity to the grid.
In 2012, the Agua Caliente project was named PV Project of the Year by Solar Power Generation USA, the
industry’s leading utility-scale solar power conference, and Solar Project of the Year by
Renewable Energy
World, a leading industry magazine.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company purchases electricity from the project under a 25-year power purchase
agreement. The 290-megawatt Agua Caliente project has nearly 5 million modules installed,
covers 2,400 acres and provides enough electricity equivalent to powering nearly 102,000 average California
households.
Electricity generated from the project displaces approximately 223,000 tons of CO
2 per year –
the equivalent of taking more than 42,000 cars off the road annually.
Location:
Yuma County, Ariz., U.S.
Completion:
Second quarter 2014
Electricity Purchaser:
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Number of Solar Modules:
Nearly 5 million