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sPower and Salt River Project (SRP) announced the opening of sPower Sandstone Solar, one of the Valley’s largest PV facilities. SRP signed to purchase all electricity generated from the 45MW facility, which is owned and operated by sPower. Wells Fargo provided tax equity financing for the project since 2006.
Sandstone Solar utilizes more than 182,000 PV modules mounted on a single-axis solar tracking system, covering a land of over 300 acres in Florence, Arizona. With solar power generated by Sandstone Solar, SRP will be able to achieve the company’s goal of providing its customers with a diverse portfolio of energy resources – the project is expected to generate enough power for supplying more than 8,000 local homes.
The SRP Board has set a goal to meet 20% of SRP’s retail electricity requirements through sustainable resources by the year 2020. Currently, SRP is ahead of schedule – providing more than 14% of retail energy needs with sustainable resources, which include solar, wind and geothermal energy, hydro power, and energy-efficiency programs.
“SRP's progressive approach to expanding its renewable energy portfolio should serve as an example to other utilities. From start to finish, SRP has been an outstanding and collaborative partner,” said Ryan Creamer, sPower CEO. “We are particularly proud of Sandstone Solar as it is our largest single-site solar facility to date.”