PG&E contracts with Sempra Generation for more solar power
Utility adds 48 megawatts of thin-film photovoltaic solar power to serve California customers

Media Contact:
Art Larson

Media Contact:
PG&E External Communications Department

Sempra Energy

(415) 973-5930

(877) 866-2066

 

www.sempra.com

 


 

         SAN FRANCISCO and SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced today that it has entered into a contract with El Dorado Energy, LLC, a subsidiary of Sempra Generation, to purchase 48 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic solar power produced at the Copper Mountain Solar facility. This is the utility’s second contract for renewable energy from Sempra Generation and it is subject to approval by the California Public Utilities Commission.

        Sempra Generation’s new Copper Mountain Solar facility will produce an average of 100 gigawatt-hours of electricity each year, equal to the annual consumption of more than 14,000 average homes. Construction of the new solar project is slated to begin later this year and will be completed in 2011.

        “PG&E is pleased to collaborate again with Sempra Generation as we work to meet our customers’ long-term energy needs with environmentally friendly power,” said Fong Wan, senior vice president of energy procurement for PG&E. “Solar projects, like the Copper Mountain Solar facility, are ideally suited to help meet our customers’ peak energy loads.”

        Today’s agreement, combined with a contract PG&E signed in late 2008 to purchase the entire 10 MW output of Sempra Generation’s existing El Dorado Energy Solar power plant, provides PG&E with all 58 MW generated by the Boulder City, Nev., solar projects. Boulder City is located about 40 miles southeast of Las Vegas.
 
        “This agreement represents a major step forward for Sempra Generation in the development of the largest operational photovoltaic solar power installation in North America,” said Michael W. Allman, president and chief executive officer of Sempra Generation. “It also demonstrates how we leverage our existing investments in land and electric infrastructure to deliver low-cost, large-scale solar power projects. The nearly one million solar panels installed at our two Nevada solar facilities will bring a new source of clean energy to the West and help reduce carbon emissions in the region,” Allman added.

        Copper Mountain Solar will create about 200 local construction jobs.
 
        Since 2002, PG&E has entered into contracts for more than 20 percent of its future electric power deliveries from renewable sources.  On average, half of the electricity PG&E delivers to its customers comes from carbon-free generating sources, making the company’s energy some of the cleanest consumed by any electric utility customers in the nation.

         About Pacific Gas and Electric Company
         Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 15 million people in northern and central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/about/.

         About Sempra Generation
         Sempra Generation, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE), operates and maintains a fleet of natural gas fueled and solar power plants serving the U.S. market and is in the process of developing renewable power projects in the Pacific Southwest.  Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company with 2008 revenues of nearly $11 billion.  The Sempra Energy companies’ 13,600 employees serve more than 29 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,” “would,” ”could,” “should,” 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, the United Kingdom  and other countries; capital market conditions and inflation, interest and exchange rates; energy and trading 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 IDEA system without charge at the SEC’s Web site, www.sec.gov and on the company’s Web site, 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 is not regulated by the California Public Utilities Commision.