Southern Company and Ted Turner Energize Cimarron Solar Facility

/PRNewswire/ -- The clean and plentiful sunshine of New Mexico is now producing electricity for some 9,000 homes as the Cimarron Solar Facility has begun commercial operation. At 30 megawatts, Cimarron is among the nation's largest solar photovoltaic plants.

The facility is the first resulting from the partnership between Southern Company (NYSE: SO) and Ted Turner and will supply power to the member electric cooperatives of Denver-based Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. Tempe, Ariz.-based First Solar, Inc., (Nasdaq: FSLR) developed and constructed the facility and will provide operation and maintenance services under a long-term contract.

"This is a key milestone for Southern Company as we steadily incorporate more renewables into our energy portfolio," said Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO Tom Fanning. "Renewables, along with new nuclear, increased energy efficiency, 21st century coal technology and additional natural gas, all will be crucial to meeting this nation's growing energy demand."

Fanning also noted that New Mexico, with its abundant solar resources, was an ideal location to establish the company's first commercial-scale solar operation.

The 364-acre plant site is located within the service territory of Tri-State member system Springer Electric Cooperative in Colfax County, N.M., and is adjacent to Turner's Vermejo Park Ranch.

Southern Company and Turner Renewable Energy acquired the project from First Solar in March 2010. Turner Renewable Energy is a wholly owned subsidiary of Turner Enterprises with a focus on development of commercial-scale solar projects.

"We are very excited to see this project completed and producing clean solar energy to power homes and businesses in New Mexico," said Turner. "Large-scale solar generation is among the fastest growing energy sources in the world, and we're pleased that we can be a part of that growth."

Initially expected to go on line by the end of 2010, the facility was completed in eight months and began commercial operation in early December, nearly a month ahead of schedule. More than 300 workers were employed to construct the plant, which uses approximately 500,000 2'x 4' advanced thin film photovoltaic modules manufactured by First Solar.

"The Cimarron Solar Facility demonstrates First Solar's capabilities in utility scale projects," said Frank De Rosa, First Solar Senior Vice President of Project Development, North America. "Integrating technology, manufacturing, project development and engineering, procurement and construction expertise enables First Solar to be a leader in sustainable energy development."

Electricity generated by the plant will serve a 25-year power purchase agreement with Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, a not-for-profit wholesale power supplier to 44 electric cooperatives serving 1.5 million consumers across Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming. The project further expands Tri-State's focus on providing renewable generation for its members, as the association also announced late last year that its Kit Carson Windpower Project began commercial operation in eastern Colorado.

"The Cimarron Solar Facility is another example of our ability to harness and utilize the abundant natural resources that are available to us in the West," said Ken Anderson, Tri-State's executive vice president and general manager. "Working with our partners, we have made a significant technology investment in the rural communities we serve, while further diversifying Tri-State's renewable resource mix."

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Oglethorpe Power To Build Gas-Fired Generating Plant

/PRNewswire/ -- Oglethorpe Power Corporation will construct a new 605-megawatt, natural-gas-powered "combined-cycle" generating facility in Georgia to help meet the growing energy needs of its members, the company announced today. The corporation recently received final approval from its member EMCs to proceed with the project.

The facility, which represents a capital investment of about $750 million (including interest during construction), will use natural gas to produce electricity and will gain additional efficiency by capturing waste heat from the combustion process and using it to generate more power. The final location for the project has not yet been determined. However, land already owned by Oglethorpe in Monroe County, as well as several other unspecified sites, will be considered.

Oglethorpe Power Chief Operating Officer Mike Price said combined cycle facilities offer many benefits, including very high efficiency, low emissions and good track records for reliability. "We expect this facility to be an outstanding addition to our power generating portfolio, providing clean, reliable electricity for our member owners throughout the state," Price said.

Over the coming months, Oglethorpe Power will be evaluating several potential sites for the plant, then will make a decision on a preferred location. Construction on the facility would begin in 2013, and the plant would become operational in 2015. About 22 full-time employees would operate the facility. In addition, up to 250 workers would be needed during the approximately 30-month construction period.

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Oglethorpe Power Purchases Dynegy's Heard County Power Generation Facility

/PRNewswire/ -- Oglethorpe Power Corporation announced today that it has reached agreement with Dynegy Inc. to acquire that company's Heard County Power Generation Facility and associated purchase power off-take contract for $105 million.

This natural gas-fired peaking facility is located in Heard County, Georgia and has a generating capacity of approximately 500 megawatts. It has been serving the needs of several of Oglethorpe Power's member cooperatives since 2003 through a purchase power contract that terminates in 2015. In 2016, the facility will be available to meet the needs of a broader group of Oglethorpe's member cooperatives.

"This is a unique opportunity to acquire an asset already operating in Georgia that fits very nicely into Oglethorpe's power supply portfolio," said Elizabeth B. Higgins, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Oglethorpe Power Corporation. The sale of the facility is subject to various approvals and is expected to close in the second quarter 2009.

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