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Environment

San Diego Company Plans Big Solar Power Plant

A subsidiary of San Diego-based Sempra Energy is proposing to build what the company says would be the largest solar energy plant in North America. KPBS Environment Reporter Ed Joyce has more.

Sempra Generation President and CEO Mike Allman says the company intends to build a 48-megawatt expansion of its existing solar power facility south of Las Vegas.

He says that's enough to provide electricity for 30,000 homes.

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"We haven't announced who our customer will be yet but it's unlikely that the power will come to San Diego," Allman said.

He says the company will sell the power to a southwest-based utility.

But Allman says Sempra Generation hopes to develop some renewable projects to benefit San Diego.

"We have some of the greatest solar resources in California, the Mojave Desert, the Imperial Valley, are excellent resources where the sun will shine more than 330 days a year," Allman said.

Allman says the Nevada plant would become the largest photovoltaic solar-power facility in North America.

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He says it could be operational by late next year.

Ed Joyce, KPBS News.