NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG) has been awarded multiple contracts with Southern
California Edison to:
-
Repower the company’s Mandalay facility in Oxnard with 262 megawatts
(MW) of newer, more flexible and efficient natural gas generation
under a 20-year PPA with SCE
-
Install 178 MW of “Preferred Resources” that include both demand
response and energy efficiency products to be deployed under long-term
contracts at sites across Southern California
-
Develop a two megawatt-hour battery storage system
“This is a tremendous opportunity to advance the forward-thinking
efforts of the State of California and Southern California Edison to
make a significantly more sustainable and reliable electricity grid,”
said John Chillemi, President of NRG Energy’s West Region. “I am proud
that NRG can be an important part of this transformation and help meet
California’s growing demand for cleaner power and Preferred Resources.”
The repowering of Mandalay is designed to ensure continued reliability
and to help integrate renewables into the grid and will also involve the
removal the two large steam units at the site, enhancing the coastal
viewshed. The repowered Mandalay units are expected to come online in
2020.
The Mandalay repowering project complements NRG’s 600 MW Carlsbad Energy
Center, in which NRG will remove the five steam units at its existing
site in Carlsbad, California and replace them with smaller, flexible,
fast start peaking units. The Carlsbad Energy Center is expected to help
integrate renewables into the grid, eliminate once-through cooling, and
result in a significantly reduced environmental and visual profile. The
Carlsbad Energy Center is expected to come online in late 2017, and is
awaiting CPUC approval of a 20 year PPA with SDG&E.
Ongoing Commitment to California
These contracts follow a string of successful projects that have helped
bring more renewable power to California through solar and wind
generation backed up by new flexible gas generation. NRG, individually
or through its subsidiary NRG Yield, Inc. (NYSE: NYLD), owns the 720 MW
Marsh Landing, 550 MW El Segundo and 500 MW Walnut Creek power plants
that all have fast start capabilities, allowing them to come online
quickly when renewable power decreases. In addition, NRG Yield owns the
nation’s largest wind farm, located in California. Through both NRG and
NRG Yield, the companies provide more than a thousand megawatts of solar
to the state from numerous large and small solar arrays, including the
world’s largest concentrated solar thermal project.
NRG has transformed Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara into a solar generator
that can power a season of NFL home games. The company also operates the
eVgo network which has completed installation on more than 85 DC fast
chargers to support California’s 100,000 electric vehicles and is
retrofitting eVgo electric vehicle charging sites to be compatible with
the new DC fast charger standard being used by the BMW i3, Chevrolet
Spark and Volkswagen eGolf. DC fast chargers can charge most electric
vehicles to 80% of full charge in 30 minutes or less.
“This is an important opportunity to help realize the aggressive
environmental goals of California,” added Chillemi. “We look forward to
working with the many stakeholders across the state to make this
transformation a reality.”
About NRG
NRG is leading a customer-driven change in the U.S. energy industry by
delivering cleaner and smarter energy choices, while building on the
strength of the nation’s largest and most diverse competitive power
portfolio. A Fortune 250 company, we create value through reliable and
efficient conventional generation while driving innovation in solar and
renewable power, electric vehicle ecosystems, carbon capture technology
and customer-centric energy solutions. Our retail electricity providers
serve nearly 3 million residential and commercial customers throughout
the country. More information is available at www.nrg.com.
Connect with NRG Energy on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @nrgenergy.
NRG Safe Harbor Disclosure
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning
of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements are
subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions and include
NRG’s expectations regarding the Mandalay repowering and “preferred
resources.” Forward-looking statements typically can be identified by
the use of words such as “will,” “expect,” “believe,” and similar terms.
Although NRG believes that its expectations are reasonable, it can give
no assurance that these expectations will prove to have been correct,
and actual results may vary materially. Factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those contemplated above include,
among others, general economic conditions, hazards customary in the
power industry, competition in wholesale power markets, the volatility
of energy and fuel prices, failure of customers to perform under
contracts, changes in the wholesale power markets, changes in government
regulation of markets and of environmental emissions, and our ability to
achieve the expected benefits and timing of our renewable projects. NRG
undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise. The foregoing review of factors that could cause NRG’s actual
results to differ materially from those contemplated in the
forward-looking statements included in this news release should be
considered in connection with information regarding risks and
uncertainties that may affect NRG’s future results included in NRG’s
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.
Copyright Business Wire 2014