Largest Photovoltaic Power Plant Opens

Sempra Energy has completed the largest photovoltaic power plant in the United States called Copper Mountain Solar facility. The 48-megawatt plant is located in Boulder City southeast of Las Vegas and will power at least 14,000 homes.


Construction on Copper Mountain Solar began in January 2010 at the 380-acre desert site.  About 350 construction workers at peak installed nearly 775,000 thin-film photovoltaic solar panels, which convert sunlight directly into electricity.

The power from Copper Mountain Solar and Sempra Generation’s adjacent 10-MW El Dorado Solar plant has been sold to Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) under separate 20-year contracts.  California utilities are required to procure 20 percent of their energy supply from alternative sources by the end of 2010, increasing to 33 percent by 2020.