BLYTHE, Calif., Nov. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- State and
local leaders joined executives from NextEra Energy Resources and
its partners to commission the Blythe and McCoy Solar Energy Centers, which
created hundreds of construction jobs and will help California meet its renewable energy
goals.
"These projects represent a more than $1.2 billion investment in California and a tremendous step forward to
help the state meet its renewable energy goals," said Armando Pimentel, president and CEO of NextEra
Energy Resources, which built and will own and operate the
projects. "We are very pleased to bring these solar energy centers
online to help serve the state and boost the local economy."
The Blythe and McCoy Solar
Energy Centers feature more than 4 million solar panels with
trackers that will follow the sun from east to west each day to
maximize energy production. Together, they have a generating
capacity of 485 megawatts, capable of powering more than 181,000
homes. The energy will serve customers of Southern California
Edison and help health care provider Kaiser Permanente become
"carbon net positive."
The projects' solar arrays span more than 4,000 acres of land in
Riverside County, much of it
managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
"The completion of these projects is further proof that
America's shift toward clean, renewable energy is underway," said
BLM Director Neil Kornze. "In fact,
we've seen a threefold increase in wind and a fivefold increase in
solar power generation during this Administration. That's a
foundation for the future that we should all be proud of."
By using renewable energy from the sun, the projects will avoid
approximately 774,000 tons per year of carbon dioxide emissions
that would have been produced if the electricity had been generated
using fossil fuels.
"California leads the nation in
renewable energy and these projects demonstrate that commitment,"
said California Energy Commissioner Karen
Douglas. "They are great examples of renewable energy
projects on public lands that are helping us address climate change
while respecting the many important values of the desert
environment."
The projects have created a significant economic boost for
Riverside County and Southern California, creating 1,500
construction jobs since 2014, when the project began. From labor
and materials, to housing, health care and construction - a wide
variety of local businesses have benefitted from the influx of
economic activity.
"California, and Riverside County in particular, is fortunate
to have one of the best solar resources in the country," said
Riverside County Supervisor
John J. Benoit. "These projects are
evidence of what we can do when we build strong partnerships to
develop renewable energy, protect the environment and create good
jobs and long-term benefits for our communities."
NextEra Energy Resources
NextEra Energy Resources, LLC
(together with its affiliated entities, "NextEra Energy
Resources"), is a clean energy leader and is one of the largest
wholesale generators of electric power in the U.S., with
approximately 18,260 megawatts of generating capacity, which
includes megawatts associated with noncontrolling interests related
to NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: NEP), primarily in 25 states
and Canada as of April 2016. NextEra Energy Resources, together
with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of
renewable energy from the wind and sun. The business operates
clean, emissions-free nuclear power generation facilities in
New Hampshire, Iowa and Wisconsin as part of the NextEra Energy
nuclear fleet, which is one of the largest in the United States. NextEra Energy Resources,
LLC is a subsidiary of Juno Beach,
Fla.-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE). For more
information, visit www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.
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SOURCE NextEra Energy Resources, LLC