PG&E to Become Nation's Biggest Solar Utility

[jpak]

http://blogs.business2.com/greenwombat/2007/09/pge-to-buy-a-gi.html

In another big boost for the economic viability of large-scale solar power plants, California utility PG&E said today it will buy an additional 1,000 megawatts of solar thermal power over the next five years. That’s on top of the gigawatt the utility already has committed to purchase.

"PG&E (PCG) has identified solar thermal technology as a reliable energy source that can provide millions of American electric customers with some of the cleanest and most cost-effective renewable energy," said PG&E CEO Peter Darbee in a statement. A 1,000 megawatts of solar electricity would power about 750,000 homes, according to PG&E.

One likely beneficiary PG&E's pledge is Silicon Valley solar startup Ausra. The company, backed by green investor Vinod Khosla and venture capital firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers, has been negotiating with PG&E to build solar power plants for the utility. Ausra executive vice president John O’Donnell declined to comment on the status of those negotiations.

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