
Solar Partners I LLC, an affiliate of NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG), applied Aug. 2 at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for various approvals related to its in-development Ivanpah solar project in California.
The company requested that the commission: accept its proposed market-based rate tariff to be effective Oct. 1, 2013; grant blanket authority to make market-based wholesale sales of capacity, energy and ancillary services under its tariff; and grant such waivers and blanket authorizations as the commission has granted in the past to other entities with market-based rate authority.
Solar I is the owner of the Ivanpah II facility, an approximately 128.7 MW solar thermal generating facility. It is one of three separate plants comprising the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System. The other two plants are Ivanpah III, which is owned by Solar Partners VIII LLC, and Ivanpah I, which is owned by Solar Partners II LLC. The overall project is located in the southeastern portion of California’s Mojave Desert.
The commission previously granted market-based rate authority to Ivanpah Master Holdings LLC for the capacity from all three Ivanpah projects.
Solar Partners I LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ivanpah Project II Holdings LLC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ivanpah. Ivanpah is owned 50.1446% by NRG Solar Ivanpah LLC, 21.7744% by BrightSource Ivanpah Holdings LLC, and 28.0810% by Danke Schoen Project LLC, a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Google Inc.
NRG Solar Ivanpah LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NRG Solar Sunrise LLC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NRG Solar LLC. NRG Solar LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary NRG Repowering Holdings LLC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NRG Energy.
BrightSource Ivanpah Holdings LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BrightSource Ivanpah Fundings LLC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BrightSource Asset Holdings LLC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BrightSource Energy.
The project will be comprised of solar thermal equipment and associated facilities and equipment necessary for the interconnection of the project and the generation of power at wholesale. The project will be located in the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) balancing authority area (BAA).
Ivanpah II is estimated to begin generating electricity toward the end of October, but may be able to begin production sooner. The entire output of Ivanpah II is committed under a long-term power purchase agreement to Southern California Edison (SCE).
Also, on July 29, Solar Partners VIII LLC separately asked FERC to: accept its proposed market-based rate tariff; grant blanket authority to make market-based wholesale sales of capacity, energy and ancillary services under its tariff; and grant such waivers and blanket authorizations as the commission has granted in the past to other entities with market-based rate authority
This company’s 140-MW Ivanpah III project will be comprised of solar thermal equipment and associated facilities and equipment necessary for the interconnection of the project and the generation of power at wholesale. The project will be located in the CAISO balancing authority area. Ivanpah III is estimated to begin generating electricity toward the end of September, but may be able to begin production sooner. The entire output of Ivanpah III is committed under a long-term power purchase agreement to Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). Solar VIII said it is not currently engaged in any business activities other than those associated with the ownership and operation of this project.