Tessera Solar gains permission to build solar power plant


11 Oct 2010

Dublin-based company NTR has announced its US solar business, Tessera Solar, has gained the approval of state and federal governments for the development of a giant solar power plant.

Tessera Solar’s California-based Imperial Valley Solar Project (IVSP) has become the first utility-scale solar power project issued the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Record of Decision in the US.

“Tessera Solar has achieved a significant milestone today securing this joint approval for the Imperial Valley Solar Project in one of the more complex permitting environments in North America,” said Jim Barry, chief executive, NTR plc, in a statement.

“A fully permitted project with a utility power purchase agreement of this size creates significant value for Tessera Solar,” he added.

The IVSP site was selected for its combination of high intensity sun and access to transmission lines. NTR’s renewable energy group builds and runs green energy and resource-sustaining businesses.

Phase 1 of the project will generate 300 MW of power under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with San Diego Gas and Electric.