NRG soaking up summer sun
On the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, June 21, NRG Energy generated more than 1,200 MW of solar power -- enough electricity to support more than one million homes. Since the beginning of the year, NRG's utility-scale solar facilities have collectively produced more than 957,000 MWh of electricity from 12 major projects.
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Agua Caliente. Credit: NRG/Business Wire |
NRG's portfolio includes interest in 125 distributed solar systems for a variety of businesses and organizations, including hotels, universities and hospitals, and stadiums.
In 2014, NRG expanded its solar capacity with projects, including the largest solar thermal facility in the world. On June 1, the plant produced 3,300 MWh of energy -- a record for solar thermal production, all while having only used 6 percent of its allotted 100 acre feet of water this year. Ivanpah is now producing half of the total solar thermal power in the state of California.
In April, NRG debuted the Agua Caliente Solar Photovoltaic Facility -- the largest, fully operational solar photovoltaic (PV) project in the world at 290 MW. Through an agreement with Pacific Gas & Electric, residents in Southern California are benefitting from Agua Caliente.
Additionally, NRG is developing a renewables-driven micro-grid for Necker Island, one of the British Virgin Islands, which will include solar technologies to help the island reduce its dependency on fossil fuels. At least 75 percent of the renewable-based solution will be powered by solar, wind and energy storage technologies.
"The sun is our cleanest and most abundant energy resource, and harnessing solar power is driving a transformation to a clean energy economy," said Tom Doyle, president of NRG's solar and wind business unit. "As people continue to demand and embrace clean energy solutions and companies continue to innovate further to provide them, we will start to see real progress in our fight against climate change."
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http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/nrg-soaking-summer-sun/2014-06-25