February 21, 2014
PV project will send power to California
PROVO, Utah–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Energy Capital Group, LLC (ECG) is developing ECG Utah Solar 1 a 300 MW solar plant adjacent to the Intermountain Power Plant (IPP). This will be one of the largest solar projects built and cost an estimated $600 million. ECG is leasing 1754 acres from the Utah School and Institutional Trust Land Administration (SITLA). The location is ideal as the infrastructure includes a HVDC transmission line going directly to California.
The project will create approximately 200 construction jobs, power an estimated 80,000 homes, generate substantial tax revenue for local & state government, will benefit Utah’s K-12 grade school children through lease payments to SITLA and provide clean affordable energy.
The project has conducted the required biological study, cultural survey, entered the interconnection queue, is working with Millard County on the conditional use permit and is in the Utah Alternative Energy Development Incentive (AEDI) application process.
Supporting the engineering of the project is Victor Rojas and Power-Tech Engineers, Inc. (PTEI). Mr. Rojas is a seasoned electrical engineer, former Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) engineer, who participated as lead test and start-up engineer in the commissioning of IPP, and later in the Operation and Maintenance management of the IPP generation and AC/DC transmission system. He along with a team of former LADWP engineers conforming PTEI, are familiar with the IPP facilities and LADWP power system.
Josh Case, CEO of ECG said, “We are excited about the opportunity to develop ECG Utah Solar 1 in Utah which will benefit several groups including the Utah school children, Millard County’s economy, Utah’s economy and the California utilities in their achieving the state RPS. The ECG team has made great strides to date and we are reaching more project milestones at a rapid pace. The support from SITLA, Millard County, the State of Utah and other organizations in this whole process has been very much appreciated and we see this as a huge win for all parties involved.”
Victor M. Rojas, P.E., President of PTEI said, “ECG Utah Solar 1 will help California utilities achieve the state Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) of 33% by 2020 as the IPP substation is part of LADWP transmission system and LADWP is a California Balancing Authority. This project will qualify as SBX Bucket 1 which 75% of renewables are required to come from to meet the RPS and is a great fit for both California and Utah.”
Jeffrey Barrett, Infrastructure & Incentive Manager in the Utah Office of Energy Development said, “The Office of Energy Development has been excited, in recent months, to see the uptick in interest in developing Utah’s world-class solar resources. We are pleased to hear that Energy Capital Group has hit a critical milestone in the development of their ambitious Millard County solar project, which we expect will add enormous economic value to rural Utah.”
Alan M. Roper, Millard County Commissioner said, “In Millard County, we are always looking for economic possibilities. We have had opportunities to expand our energy hub with both conventional energy as well as renewables. At this time, we are looking forward to developing a working relationship with Energy Capital Group and anticipate a good fit for all entities concerned.”
About ECG
ECG with its corporate headquarters in Provo, Utah with offices in Washington DC, California, Virginia and Idaho is a renewable energy company developing utility scale and distributed projects. The executive team has deep industry experience in renewables, government, finance, politics and international business. www.energycgllc.com
About PTEI
PTEI was established in 1992 by a group of former electrical utility engineers with expertise in planning, permitting, financing, design, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance of electrical facilities and systems. Utility clients include LADWP, Burbank Water and Power, Southern California Edison, Imperial Irrigation District, City of Glendale Water & Power, City of Banning and City of Riverside. www.ptei.net