California County to Add 1.11 Megawatts of Solar Power

April 14, 2004

California's Alameda County—home to the city of Oakland—has committed to installing six new solar power arrays that will total 1.11 megawatts in capacity. PowerLight Corporation announced in late March that the County Board of Supervisors had approved the plan and commissioned PowerLight to install the six solar energy systems. PowerLight will install the systems on six county buildings starting in late spring, and anticipates completing all the projects this year. According to PowerLight, the new systems will boost Alameda County's total solar generating capacity to 2.19 megawatts, allowing the county to draw on solar energy to meet 6 percent of its energy needs. See the PowerLight press release.

Southern California will gain more solar energy capacity by September of this year, when Kyocera Solar, Inc. intends to complete a 251-kilowatt system in the parking lot of its North American headquarters and manufacturing plant, which are collocated in San Diego. Kyocera also draws on a 3.2-megawatt natural-gas-fired cogeneration facility for its power. See the Kyocera press release.