Duke Power Acquires Massive Solar Farm in San Antonio

Duke Energy, Charlotte, will acquire a 139-acre solar photovoltaic project under development in San Antonio, Texas. Duke Energy Generation Services (DEGS), a Duke Energy Commercial Businesses unit that owns and develops renewable power assets, will purchase the Blue Wing Solar Project from juwi solar Inc., based in Boulder, Colo. The 14MW (16MW direct current) project will consist of 214,500 ground-mounted First Solar thin film panels. Construction will follow the close of the acquisition, which is expected in the first quarter of 2010. The 139-acre project is expected to be completed and energized by the fourth quarter of 2010. No other terms were disclosed.

"Duke Energy's acquisition of the Blue Wing Solar Project adds an exciting new dimension to our renewable power business," said Wouter van Kempen, president of DEGS. "We took our wind energy business from zero megawatts to more than 730 megawatts in under three years, so I'm very confident we can grow our solar power business."

Duke Energy alredyowns and operates 733MW of commercial wind power generation – a figure that will rise to nearly 1,000 MW by the end of 2010. In total, the company has committed more than $1 billion since 2007 to build its wind energy business.