Energy regulator awards 9 PPOAs for solar energy
By The Star Staff
Subsidiaries of the Spanish firm Alener, Canadian Solar, Convergent and Pattern Energy, are among the list of firms that were recently awarded nine power purchase operating agreements (PPOAs).
The Puerto Energy Bureau (PREB) recently announced the approval of nine power purchase agreements and said it was evaluating five more for a total of 795.91 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy capacity. However, the agency published the names of the companies given PPOAs on July 12.
The nine PPOAs, which were signed on June 30, will provide some 430 MW of solar energy and are part of some 18 solar projects approved by the PREB in February. Under the Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy Act, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) must draw 40% of its electricity from renewable resources by 2025, 60% by 2040, and 100% by 2050.
The companies, which will be paid for the projects through energy rates, were required by the Financial Oversight and Management Board to sell power to PREPA at no more than 10 cents per kilowatt-hour.
The PREB approved the PPOAs for the following firms: Tetris Power, which operates a 20-MW solar park in Arecibo at a projected cost of $30 million; Coamo Convergent Energy Storage, which is operating a 100-MW solar park in Coamo for a projected cost of $120 million; CS-UR Juncos, a subsidiary of Canadian Solar, which is operating a 100-MW solar farm in Juncos and Las Piedras; Pattern Vega Baja Solar, which is operating a 25-MW solar park at a cost of some $50 million; Solaner Puerto Rico One, a subsidiary of Alener, which is operating a 35-MW solar park in San Germán; Ciro Two Salinas, a 33-MW solar farm in Salinas; Guayama Solar Energy, a 25-MW solar park in Guayama whose cost is estimated at $41 million; Pattern Barceloneta Solar, a 60-MW solar plant in Barceloneta; and YNF Yabucoa Solar, a 20-MW solar park in Yabucoa.
PREPA was required by the PREB to submit more proposed PPOAs by Friday.