Kern County solar farm changes hands

LOST HILLS

October 26, 2015 12:00pm

•  Southern Company and Turner Renewable Energy buy Morelos del Sol Solar facility

•  “This acquisition … strengthens Southern Company's position as a national leader in renewables”

The 15-megawatt Morelos del Sol Solar facility being built near Lost Hills in Kern County is being acquired from Solar Frontier Americas by Southern Company subsidiary Southern Power and Turner Renewable Energy of Atlanta, Ga. Financial terms were not revealed. "This acquisition with longtime partner Turner Renewable Energy strengthens Southern Company's position as a national leader in renewables," says Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO Thomas Fanning. "The acquisition of the Morelos del Sol Solar Facility aligns with our company's broader commitment to best meeting customers' energy needs."

Southern Power's eighth solar acquisition in California, the Morelos del Sol Solar Facility will be located on 138 acres two and a half miles east of Highway 33, roughly 14 miles northwest of Lost Hills. When completed, it is designed to consist of 111,744 thin-film photovoltaic solar modules mounted on single-axis trackers. The project has created approximately 300 construction jobs.

Ted Turner, owner of Turner Renewable Energy, teamed with Southern Company through a subsidiary in January 2010 to form a strategic alliance to pursue development of renewable energy projects in the United States. The partnership has primarily focused on developing and investing in large-scale solar PV projects in the Southwest, where solar resources are most available. This is the company's eighth solar project with Turner Renewable Energy and brings the partnership's overall solar capacity to more than 320 MW. "The acquisition of the Morelos del Sol facility is another important step in advancing the development of solar technologies," says Mr. Turner.

Depcom Power is providing engineering, procurement and construction services and will also operate and maintain the facility for Southern Power. Construction of the plant began in July, and commercial operation is expected in late November. The electricity and associated renewable energy credits generated by the facility will be sold under a 20-year power purchase agreement with Pacific Gas & Electric Company.