Canadian Solar, Southern Company bring 200 MW California solar site online
by Cleantech Canada Staff
1,900-acre Fresno County project to power equivalent of 50,000 homes
GUELPH, Ont.—Panel maker Canadian Solar Inc. and U.S. utility Southern Company have completed work on a 200 megawatt solar project in central California.
Built on 1,900 acres of retired agricultural land in Fresno County, southeast of San Francisco, the project will power the equivalent of 50,000 homes.
“The Tranquillity solar facility is the product of long-term collaboration with financial partners, local communities and other stakeholders,” Shawn Qu, Canadian Solar’s chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “This milestone is a testament to our commitment to the communities and ecosystems where we operate, which is a critical ingredient of our project development success.”
Southern Company owns a 51 per cent stake in the project through its Southern Power subsidiary, while Canadian solar holds the remaining 49 per cent through subsidiary Recurrent Energy.
The project employed 456 jobs at peak construction.
Having achieved commercial operation, it is now operating under a 15-year power purchase agreement with Southern California Edison.
