Duke Energy Renewables acquires three California solar projects from SunPower

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy Renewables announced today it has acquired three solar power projects from SunPower Corp. totaling 55 megawatts (MW).

The sites include the 20-MW Rio Bravo I, the 20-MW Rio Bravo II, and the 15-MW Wildwood Solar II solar power plants. They are located in Kern County, California, adjacent to two existing solar sites owned by Duke Energy Renewables.

"These solar projects are excellent facilities that increase our solar presence in California by 50 percent," said Rob Caldwell, president, Duke Energy Renewables and Distributed Energy Technology. "As we continue to grow our footprint in the state, we're pleased to provide cost-efficient, sustainable power systems that contribute to California's leadership in renewable energy."

The acquisition was completed in late December, the same month the facilities were placed in service. Southern California Edison is purchasing the power generated by the plants under 20-year agreements.

"Forward-thinking utilities today are diversifying their energy portfolio with increasing amounts of solar capacity," said Ty Daul, SunPower senior vice president, Americas Power Plants. "We are proud to partner with Duke Energy to serve more California customers with affordable, emission free solar power generated from these facilities."

The sites consist of high-efficiency SunPower solar panels. More than 2,600 MW of solar power plants worldwide are using SunPower's leading solar technology.

Duke Energy Renewables growing California operationsIn December, Duke Energy Renewables also completed its 20-MW Longboat Solar Power Project in San Bernardino County, California, which was acquired from EDF Renewable Energy and announced in March of 2016.

The following is a summary of Duke Energy Renewables' California solar projects acquired and completed in 2016:

In addition, Duke Energy Renewables has six other solar power projects in California that began operations prior to 2016:

About Duke Energy RenewablesDuke Energy Renewables, part of Duke Energy's Commercial Portfolio, is a leader in developing innovative wind and solar energy generation projects for customers throughout the United States. The company's growing portfolio of commercial renewable assets includes 20 wind projects and 55 solar facilities in operation in more than a dozen states, totaling about 2,900 megawatts in electric-generating capacity.

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About SunPowerAs one of the world's most innovative and sustainable energy companies, SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ: SPWR) provides a diverse group of customers with complete solar solutions and services. Residential customers, businesses, governments, schools and utilities around the globe rely on SunPower's more than 30 years of proven experience. From the first flip of the switch, SunPower delivers maximum value and superb performance throughout the long life of every solar system. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, SunPower has dedicated, customer-focused employees in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America. For more information about how SunPower is changing the way our world is powered, visit www.SunPower.com. SUNPOWER and the SUNPOWER logo are registered trademarks of SunPower Corporation in the U.S. and other countries as well.

Contact: Duke Energy, Tammie McGee 800.559.3853

Contact: SunPower, Ingrid Ekstrom510.260.8368, [email protected]

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SOURCE Duke Energy