[September 21, 2011] Solar farm dedication set for Thursday [Carlsbad Current-Argus, N.M.] Tweet (Carlsbad Current-Argus (NM) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sept. 21--CARLSBAD -- Southern Eddy County enters a new era of energy production this week with the dedication of the Hopi Road Solar Farm, a 10 megawatt solar production site, Thursday on Derrick Road south of Carlsbad. A ribbon cutting ceremony at the site is scheduled for 11 a.m. The solar site is the first of five to be constructed in Eddy and Lea counties as part of a 53 megawatt solar initiative undertaken by Excel Energy and SunEdison under a 20-year solar power services agreement between the two companies. Under the agreement, SunEdison will build, finance and maintain the sites, with the solar power generated by the plants being sold to Xcel. The five sites will enable Excel Energy to continue meeting New Mexico's renewable energy portfolio standard, which requires that regulated electric utilities use renewable energy sources to meet 15 percent of their electricity needs by 2015, and 20 percent by 2020. The sites will comprise a utility-scale, ground-mount power generation system expected to be fully operational by the end of 2011. Overall, the installations will generate 109 million kilowatt hours of power in the project's first year of operation, enough power for more than 10,000 homes, said Jeff Campbell of the Carlsbad Department of Economic Development. Over the 20-year lifespan of the project, it will produce a projected 2 billion kilowatt hours of clean solar energy, he said. "That is enough to offset more than 2.9 billion pounds of carbon dioxide," said Campbell, "or the equivalent of removing more than 280,000 cars from the road after 20 years." ___ (c)2011 the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.) Visit the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.) at www.currentargus.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]