SAN DIEGO, Dec. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sempra Generation announced today that three blocks of solar panels totaling 42 megawatts (MW) have been installed at its Mesquite Solar 1 project and are now delivering renewable electricity to the power grid.

Construction on the 150-MW photovoltaic solar installation in Arlington, Ariz., located about 40 miles west of Phoenix, began in June 2011.  Sempra Generation anticipates that the project will be completed in early 2013. 

Power from the facility is sold to Pacific Gas and Electric Company under a long-term, 20-year contract. 

The progress at Mesquite Solar 1 moves Sempra Generation closer to its goal of adding 1,000 MW of renewables to its power generation portfolio by 2015.  Since announcing the target in early 2011, the company has installed, started construction or secured long-term utility contracts for more than 500 MW of additional solar and wind capacity.

"We have achieved remarkable growth in our renewable portfolio over the past year.  The keys to our success have been securing long-term contracts to ensure stable cash flows and executing with world-class partners," said Jeffrey W. Martin, president and chief executive officer of Sempra Generation.  "In 2012, we will embark upon the most aggressive development program in Sempra Generation's history with multiple utility-scale wind and solar projects in construction." 

Approximately 450 construction workers are currently on-site at Mesquite Solar 1 and installing an average of 4,500 photovoltaic solar panels each day.  The 900-acre facility, which would cover 680 football fields, will employ more than 800,000 panels to generate enough electricity for about 50,000 homes at full build-out. 

"We set an aggressive goal of safely installing 42 MW of solar by year-end, and our construction team delivered," said William Engelbrecht, vice president of planning at Sempra Generation.  "This is a large undertaking and one we could not have reached so quickly without the hard work of our contractors Zachry and Suntech."

Mesquite Solar 1 is the first phase of Sempra Generation's Mesquite Solar Complex, a facility that could grow to 700 MW.  Concurrently, the company is constructing a second 150-MW solar plant in Boulder City, Nev. called Copper Mountain Solar 2.  The electrical output from that project is also fully contracted for 25 years to PG&E.

Sempra Generation operates and maintains natural gas-fueled power plants, and is a leading developer of solar and wind facilities that serve U.S. markets.  In January 2012, Sempra Generation and Sempra Energy's other U.S. operations outside of its two California utilities will be consolidated into a new business unit called Sempra U.S. Gas & Power.  Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company with 2010 revenues of $9 billion.  The Sempra Energy companies' nearly 17,500 employees serve about 31 million consumers worldwide.

This press release contains statements that are not historical fact and constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by words like "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "may,""will," "would," "could," "should," "potential," "target," "depends," or similar expressions, or discussions of strategies, plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Future results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon various assumptions involving judgments with respect to the future and other risks, including, among others: local, regional, national and international economic, competitive, political, legislative and regulatory conditions and developments; actions by the California Public Utilities Commission, California State Legislature, California Department of Water Resources, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Federal Reserve Board, and other regulatory and governmental bodies in the United States and other countries where the company does business; capital market conditions and inflation, interest and exchange rates; energy markets, including the timing and extent of changes and volatility in commodity prices; the availability of electric power, natural gas and liquefied natural gas; weather conditions and conservation efforts; war and terrorist attacks; business, regulatory, environmental and legal decisions and requirements; the status of deregulation of retail natural gas and electricity delivery; the timing and success of business development efforts; the resolution of litigation; and other uncertainties, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the company. These risks and uncertainties are further discussed in the reports that Sempra Energy has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These reports are available through the EDGAR system free-of-charge on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, and on the company's website at www.sempra.com.

Sempra Generation is not the same company as the utility, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) or Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), and Sempra Generation is not regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission.

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SOURCE Sempra Generation