First Solar Inc. (Tempe, Arizona, US) has acquired the Macho Springs solar photovoltaic (PV) project in the US state of New Mexico from Element Power Solar (Portland, Oregon, US).

First Solar plans to complete the 50 MW-AC project in 2014, at which time it will be the state's largest PV plant. The plant will also use First Solar's cadmium telluride thin-film PV modules.

Plant the result of RFP by EPE

El Paso Electric (EPE, El Paso, Texas, US) will buy the power produced by the Macho Springs plant under a power purchase agreement which is still subject to regulatory approval.

The project is the result of a request for proposal by EPE to supply additional "peak" electricity resources to its current electricity mix. A recent study by the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has found that the addition of 10-13 GW of PV would be "economic" in the state over the next 20 years.

First Solar builds on New Mexico presence

First Solar completed New Mexico's 30 MW Cimarron Solar PV plant in 2011. The company has also completed 22 MW of PV projects in the state for PNM Resources Inc. (Albuquerque, New Mexico, US) in 2011 and has been chosen to build another 21.5 MW of PV for PNM.

2013-01-31 | Courtesy: First Solar | solarserver.com © Heindl Server GmbH

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