Kings River Conservation District (KRCD) and Cleantech America have entered into a joint agreement to construct an 80MW solar energy power plant over the next 3 years. The power plant will utilize photovoltaic (PV) solar cells and when completed, will be the largest PV installation in the United States. It’s planned that the development will be undertaken in 3 phases with the first phase resulting in 10MW coming online in 2009, the second seeing 30MW online in 2010 and the 3rd and final phase finishing it off with 40MW in 2011.

The KRCD project will provide emission-free, peak solar power to the recently formed San Joaquin Valley Power Authority (SJVPA). This power will be used by the Authority’s Community Choice customers throughout the San Joaquin Valley.

Kings River Conservation District 

When the full 80MW power plant is operational it will have significant environmental benefits for the region with the capacity to avoid more than 45,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year. Effectively it will be like removing 20,000 cars from the roads. The benefits will also be economical with more than 1,000 installation/maintenance job-years in the local area and up to 1,600 manufacturing job-years.

Bill Barnes, CEO of Cleantech America LLC., said, “This is a visionary step by Kings River Conservation District. The extraordinary economies of scale which can be achieved by facilities of this magnitude would have a dramatic effect on helping solar energy achieve grid parity. Solar on this scale would unquestionably attract many solar manufacturing, fabrication and related jobs to the San Joaquin Valley, and further promote the region’s growing image as California’s ‘Solar Valley.’ And because in-grid zero emission solar provides peak power when it is needed most, during the hottest times of day during the hottest times of the year, it supports increased generation reliability in the region.”

The SJVPA was formed in 2006 pursuant to a Joint Powers Agreement for the purpose of implementing a community choice aggregation program for the greater Fresno area of the San Joaquin Valley. California Assembly Bill 117, passed in 2002, allows cities and counties to combine the electrical loads of their constituents for bulk electricity purchases. The Authority is currently comprised of 12 member cities, as well as Tulare and Kings counties. Management of the Authority is under the direction of KRCD, which will include the procurement of generation to supply the participating customers.

The project maximizes the clean energy nature of the solar power generated because the solar power plant will be located nearby to the end users minimizing the transmission expenses and keeps the entire process within the local community.

You can read about more solar energy developments in construction by visiting the solar energy page.