Sempra Generation has opened a Nevada solar photovoltaic plant that it says is the country’s largest.
Nevada governor Brian Sandoval was on hand to help dedicate the 48 MW Copper Mountain Solar plant, located adjacent to Sempra Generation’s 10 MW El Dorado Solar installation on 380 acres in Boulder City, Nev., about 40 miles southeast of Las Vegas. The Copper Mountain project uses nearly 775,000 thin-film photovoltaic solar panels, enough to power about 14,000 homes, Sempra said.
The power from Copper Mountain and El Dorado is being sold to Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) under two 20-year contracts. Together, the two projects use nearly a million solar panels supplied by First Solar, PG&E said. Construction on Copper Mountain Solar began in January 2010.
Copper Mountain’s record won’t stand for long. Sempra now plans to expand the complex by more than 200 MW, a plan recently approved by Boulder City.
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