By Renewable Energy Focus Staff

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Sempra Generation, a subsidiary of San Diego-based Sempra Energy, have entered into a 25-year contract for 150 MW of renewable power from an expansion of Sempra Generation's Copper Mountain solar complex in Nevada.

First Solar will provide the ground-mounted thin-film panels and serve as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the solar project.

The first 92 MW of solar panels at Copper Mountain Solar 2 are expected to be installed by January 2013, with the remaining 58 MW slated for completion by 2015. Under the terms of the contract, PG&E has the option to accelerate the commercial operation date of the second phase.

Sempra Generation and First Solar have previously teamed-up on the construction of two other large-scale solar projects in Nevada, including Copper Mountain Solar 1. The 48 MW installation was completed in late 2010 and PG&E is currently delivering the power produced at the plant to its customers.

Jeffrey W Martin, President and CEO of Sempra Generation, says: "Copper Mountain Solar 2 is another exciting step forward on our plan to construct 1,000 megawatts of additional renewable capacity by 2015. We couldn't be more pleased to move forward with PG&E and First Solar on our third and largest solar project in Nevada, which will deliver a new supply of clean power to California consumers."

The power supply contract between Sempra Generation and PG&E is subject to approval by the California Public Utilities Commission.