The Southern California Edison said it's set to announce a big renewable energy contract tomorrow morning.
No details on the deal are available, but the utility could end up discussing its mega rooftop solar program that received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission in June.
The CPUC modified the company's proposal to allow Edison to own and operate 250 megawatts of projects and to let third-party developers own and operate another 250 megawatts. Edison would buy solar electricity from those developers via long-term contracts.
Edison originally wanted approval to spend $875 million to build and own 250 megawatts over a five-year period. The proposal drew protests from independent power producers and CPUC's own Division of Ratepayer Advocates, who argued that consumers' interest might be better protected if Edison would allow others to develop part of the project.
Now that it has the CPUC's approval, Edison is supposed to select suppliers for its own portion of the project as well as to sign contracts to buy solar electricity from independent power producers.
Edison could also announce yet another big solar power purchase agreement from a developer of centralized solar power plants.
The utility has been eager to sign those agreements in order to fulfill a state mandate that requires all investor-owned utilities to have 20 percent of its electricity coming from renewable sources by 2010. The state is looking at mandating 33 percent by 2020.
Back in June, Edison said it would buy power from Solar Millennium, which promised to deliver electricity from two power plants of 242 megawatts each. Edison has the option to buy additional power from a third, 242-megawatt power plant.
Germany-based Solar Millennium just announced today that it has formed a new company, Solar Trust of America, with engineering firm MAN Ferrostaal that will be responsible for developing the solar power plants.
In February this year, Edison said it had signed a deal to buy power from Oakland, Calif.-based BrightSource Energy, which would build 1.3 gigawatts of solar power plants under the contract.
