Infigen sells two 20MW solar projects in US to Duke

Australian renewable energy firm Infigen Energy says it has sold two 20MW solar PV projects in the US to Duke Energy Renewables, a subsidiary of that country’s largest utility, Duke Energy.

The two projects in California – Pumpjack and Wildwood, both located near Bakersfield – were due to begin construction in 2014.

Duke said the purchases would more than double its solar power capacity in California, and once online would take its total solar capacity to 185MW at 23 utility-scale facilities across the country.

“We’re pleased to provide an increasing supply of affordable, clean energy to the nation’s number one solar market,” Duke Energy Renewables President Greg Wolf said in a statement.

The solar energy generated from the two projects will be sold through 20-year power purchase agreements with Southern California Edison.

Infigen has a portfolio of another 120MW of solar PV projecs in the south-west of the US. Its head of US operations, Craig Carson, said the company was pleased with the outcome of its first solar PV development in the US.

“We are very pleased that our first development efforts in solar PV have succeeded in bringing together strong counterparties such as Southern California Edison and Duke Energy,” Carson said in a statemnt.

“We expect that the experience gained and the relationships created through these solar projects will deliver significant benefits for our future development opportunities.”

A purchase price was not revealed.