Swinerton to develop Duke Energy’s two 20MW solar farms in California

US-based Swinerton Renewable Energy has secured a contract from Duke Energy Renewables to provide engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services for the Pumpjack and Wildwood solar power projects in California.

Anticipated to be commissioned by the end of the year, the overall 40MW AC projects are anticipated to generate clean electricity which could power nearly 10,000 California households.

Swinerton Renewable energy vice president and division manager George Hershman said, "Swinerton would be working with the team at Duke Energy Renewables. Together, we look forward to delivering reliable, renewable power to California residents.

"Duke has already agreed to sell power generated from the projects to Edison International’s Southern California Edison under 20-year power purchase agreements."

Upon commissioning of both the projects, Duke Energy will own and operate 65MW of solar power capacity in California, bringing its overall deployed solar capacity in the US to 185MW at 23 utility-scale facilities.

Duke Energy Renewables president Greg Wolf said that the collaboration would offer an increasing supply of affordable, clean energy to the nation’s number one solar market.

"Pumpjack and Wildwood will more than double our solar power capacity in California," added Wolf.

Both the projects comprise a standalone 20MW AC photovoltaic facility and a new 115kV substation for interconnection to the grid.

Technical features of the projects include 171,000 x BYD 305 W polycrystalline modules, 40 x 1MW NX Advanced Energy inverters, and Array Technologies’ single-axis trackers.