Solar
A subsidiary of MidAmerican Renewables, MidAmerican Solar, is located in Phoenix, Ariz. MidAmerican Solar's
primary projects include the 550-megawatt
AC Topaz project in San Luis Obispo County, Calif., and the
290-megawatt
AC Agua Caliente project in Yuma County, Ariz.
The Topaz Project
Construction of the Topaz project began in November 2011 and is expected to be complete by early 2015. The project will
create approximately 400 construction jobs and 15 ongoing operations and maintenance jobs. According to an economic
benefits study by The Brattle Group and California Polytechnic State University, the project is estimated to infuse
$417 million into the local economy, the majority of which will be generated during construction, with the remainder
over the project’s minimum 25-year operating period.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company will purchase the electricity from Topaz under a 25-year power purchase agreement,
helping California to meet its mandate to generate 33 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2020.
The Topaz project will incorporate advanced thin-film PV modules, which generate electricity with no emissions, waste
or water use and have the smallest carbon footprint of any PV technology. Electricity generated from the Topaz project
will displace approximately 377,000 metric tons of CO2 per year – the equivalent of taking approximately 73,000 cars
off the road.
View additional information related to the Topaz project at
www.topazsolar.com.
The Agua Caliente Project
The 290-megawatt solar photovoltaic project will generate enough electricity to offset approximately 5.5 million metric
tons of carbon dioxide over 25 years. The $1.8 billion project, which is being constructed by First Solar and is
expected to be complete by 2014, is supported by a $967 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy and
a long-term power purchase agreement with Pacific Gas and Electric for all of the project’s generation.