Atlanta-based Southern Company, for the second time this week, announced Wednesday the acquisition of a controlling interest in another California solar farm.
The utility giant is wasting little time moving away from coal-generated electricity. Last week the Southern Co. said it would buy AGL Resources, an Atlanta gas pipeline company, for $12 billion in cash and debt.
Earlier this week, Southern Power, a subsidiary of what will become the nation’s second largest utility based on customers served, announced the purchase of a controlling interest in Recurrent Energy’s 200-megawatt Tranquillity Solar Facility in Fresno County, California.
Wednesday’s acquisition of the 300-megawatt Desert Stateline Facility, from First Solar Inc., marks the utility’s largest push into solar. It’s also another step in Southern Co.’s expanding renewable energy portfolio. The company tallies 20 solar, wind or biomass projects across the country. More than 3,300 megawatts of renewable energy projects have been added or announced since 2012.
“We are accelerating the development of solar as an important component of a diverse fuel mix now and in the future,” Southern Co. CEO Thomas Fanning said in a statement.
Construction of the 1,685-acre Stateline solar farm in San Bernardino County began last October. It is Southern Power’s seventh California acquisition. Once on-line, Stateline could generate enough electricity to help meet the energy needs of nearly 100,000 homes. It should be fully operational in late 2016. The energy will be sold to Southern California Edison.
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