The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on June 26 granted an approval for Centinela Solar Energy LLC related to its in-construction, 170-MW solar project in California.
Centinela had applied for market-based rate authority with an accompanying tariff. The proposed market-based rate tariff provides for the sale of energy, capacity, and ancillary services at market-based rates in the Southwest region. Centinela also requested waivers commonly granted to similar market-based rate applicants.
Centinela Solar will own and operate a 170-MW photovoltaic generation facility located in El Centro, Calif., in the California ISO market. Centinela Solar is controlled by LS Power Development LLC, and is not affiliated with any entity that owns generation facilities in the CAISO market.
Preliminary, pre-commercial testing is expected to occur in July 2013, and the project is expected to achieve full commercial operation in 2014, said the company in its May 28 FERC application. The entire output of the project will be sold to San Diego Gas & Electric under long-term power purchase agreements for each of the project’s two phases, when certain conditions in such agreements are satisfied.
