News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Corporate
Communications
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www.edisonnews.com
SCE Signs Six New Renewable Power Contracts
ROSEMEAD, Calif.,
March 9, 2005 - Southern California Edison (SCE) has submitted
for review by the California Public Utilities Commission
(CPUC) six new long-term contracts with power generators
using wind, biomass, and geothermal energy.
If
approved by the CPUC, the contracts would add as much as
427 megawatts* (MW) to SCE's renewable power portfolio, already
the nation's largest, when construction is completed between 2006
and 2009.
"We
congratulate the winning bidders in our second major solicitation
under California's new renewable portfolio standard," said SCE
CEO Alan Fohrer. "These contracts represent a significant
step in SCE's continuing commitment to renewable energy as
well as the implementation of the state's renewable policy."
Five of the contracts would result in the construction of new renewable generation capacity at a time when California is attempting to cope with surging population growth and electricity demand. The sixth involves the significant expansion of an existing facility.
"We
are encouraged that this solicitation process has yielded
competitively priced renewable power for our customers requiring
no state subsidy," said SCE Vice President of Power Procurement
Pedro Pizarro. "We will continue to look for opportunities
to add to our renewable portfolio."
NEW RENEWABLE CONTACTS
More
than 150 independent renewable power producers are under
contract to SCE. They
can generate more than 2,500 MW of electricity - approximately
18.2% of the power SCE delivered to its customers during
2004. California's renewable portfolio standard requires
that investor-owned utilities obtain 20% of their power from renewable
sources by 2010.
Related Facts
- SCE leads the nation in renewable power delivery, procuring more than 13,000 gigawatt-hours** of renewable energy in 2004, more than any U.S. utility or state except for California.
- SCE's current renewable
portfolio can deliver 2,588 MW of electricity
- 1,021 MW from wind energy
- 892 MW from geothermal
- 354 MW from solar
- 226 MW from biomass
- 95 MW from small hydro
*A megawatt is enough power to serve 750 average homes during summer months.
**A gigawatt equals one billion watts.
# # #
An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company,
Southern California Edison is one of the nation's largest
electric utilities, serving a population of more than
13 million via 4.6 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile
service area within central, coastal and Southern California.
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