Press Release- April 23, 2007
OFFICE OF GOV. BILL RITTER, JR.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2007
Contact:
Evan Dreyer, 720.350.8370
Megan Castle, 303.866.2262
GOV. RITTER, SEN. SALAZAR BREAK GROUND ON NEW 8.22-MEGAWATT SOLAR PLANT IN SAN LUIS VALLEY
ALAMOSA - Gov. Bill Ritter and U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar today helped break ground on a new 82-acre solar plant in the San Luis Valley, a project that will be one of the largest of its kind in the country. When complete in 2008, the facility will generate enough power for 1,500 homes a year.
"Today we are making history in Colorado," Gov. Ritter said. "This solar plant is another building block in Colorado's New Energy Economy. And constructing the plant in the San Luis Valley makes perfect sense because the Valley is the sunniest place in the sixth-sunniest state in the nation."
SunEdison will own the Alamosa Photovoltaic Solar Plant and sell the power to Xcel Energy. The facility will help Xcel, the state's largest utility, comply with Amendment 37 and the state's new renewable energy standard. The standard, signed into law by Gov. Ritter last month, requires that utilities like Xcel obtain 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
"With wind farms across the plains, new bio-diesel and ethanol plants, the National Renewable Energy Lab, innovative businesses like SunEdison and Xcel Energy and this solar energy project, Colorado really is the renewable energy capital of the Nation," Salazar said. "This solar plant project, near my home in the San Luis Valley, will help bring new investments and new jobs to Colorado and I am proud to participate in this groundbreaking event."
The plant will create about 50 construction jobs in Alamosa and provide ongoing employment for a small maintenance crew located in Alamosa.
"By purchasing the clean energy from this solar power plant, we continue to enhance our reputation as a leader in the utility industry in protecting the environment. We are committed to meeting our customers' energy needs and to providing 20 percent of our power from renewable energy sources by 2020. We can meet these goals quickly and efficiently by working with providers such as SunEdison to receive clean energy from facilities just like this," said Pat Vincent, president and CEO, Public Service Co. of Colorado, an Xcel Energy Company.
"Xcel Energy is clearly committed to providing clean energy for its customers. As the leading solar energy services provider, we are proud to be working with Xcel Energy on the Alamosa solar power plant. Xcel Energy and Colorado are leaders in creating policies and solutions that meet energy needs and benefit citizens and the environment," said Jigar Shah, CEO of SunEdison.
Ritter also noted that next month he will be in Logan County for the groundbreaking of a wind farm there. Other New Energy Economy accomplishments include:
- Signing legislation making it easier to transmit wind power from where it is generated to where it is needed.
- Quadrupling the number of E-85 ethanol fuel pumps around Colorado by the end of the year.
- Issuing a "Greening of State Government" executive order that will reduce the use of petroleum fuels, electricity and water.
- Introducing legislation to create a Clean Energy Fund.
- Attracting Vestas Blades to build its first North American manufacturing plant in Windsor.
- Hiring state government's first climate change adviser.
About The Alamosa Photovoltaic Solar Plant
The Alamosa Photovoltaic Solar Plant is an 8.22-megawatt (MW) facility that covers roughly 82 acres of land in Alamosa and San Luis Valley in Colorado. It will include 27,000 flat-pane and photovoltaic solar panels. When completed, the facility will deliver sufficient clean energy to power 1,500 homes. The Alamosa Photovoltaic Solar Plant will generate enough clean energy to remove the carbon emissions produced by 2,840 cars driving 12,500 miles annually or roughly 710,000,000 miles over 20 years.
About SunEdison
Sun Edison, LLC, is North America's leading solar energy services provider. SunEdison provides solar-generated energy at or below current retail utility rates to a broad and diverse client base of commercial, municipal and utility customers. For more information about SunEdison, please visit www.sunedison.com. The company headquarters is in Beltsville, Md.