太平洋煤氣與電力公司（Pacific Gas and Electric Company, PG&E）8月14日宣布，該公司已簽定了兩項具備公用事業規模的太陽能發電合約，將使整個加州的總發電量達800百萬瓦（MW），這些能源採購合約將使原本從屋頂擷取熱能的太陽電池成為未來的供電主流。
雖然這二個大型的計畫位址沒有相連，但他們都將座落於加州山谷的聖路易奧比斯浦郡（San Luis Obispo）。這二個計畫完成之後，預計將能成為世界上最大的並聯型太陽光電系統的紀錄保持者。
一旦這二個太陽能發電廠建立並且運行之後，將能生產足夠的電力以供給一年23萬9千戶的家庭用電量，供電量幾乎是現今規模最大的電力發電廠所能提供的12倍之多。
其中，與美國SunPower公司合作，位於加州山谷的太陽能發電廠規模較小，能夠生產250百萬瓦（MW）的電能；其預計在2010年就可以開始供電並在2012年達到完全供電，使用高效能晶體太陽能板可望比傳統晶體電池生產更多的電能，成長幅度可達50%。
而二個計劃中規模較大的是與OptiSolar's Topaz公司所合作的太陽能發電廠，發電量達550百萬瓦（MW），其也將運用OptiSolar's Topaz公司在海沃德（Hayward）和薩克拉門托（Sacramento）生產薄膜太陽能電池的製造專業。
廠址將設於加州山谷西北角的加利沙平原（Carrisa Plains），預計在2011年即可開始供電並在2013年達到完全供電。
這二個計劃都可列入聯邦政府投資再生能源的免稅範圍之內。
太平洋煤氣與電力公司的營運長兼資深副總傑克基南（Jack Keenan）表示，這些具里程碑意義的合約標示著，大型公共事業規模太陽能發電的時代已經來臨，使用太陽的熱能和風力發電可使發電成本更具競爭力。
基南進一步解釋說，公共事業規模的太陽能發電計畫可以直接將太陽光轉變成電力，並且在下午時段生產最多的電能，而通常這個時候的電力需求也相對很高。
Pacific Gas and Electric Company has entered into two utility-scale solar power contracts for a total of 800 megawatts of energy to be generated in California, the utility announced Thursday. The power purchase pacts bring solar photovoltaic cells out of the rooftop realm and into the mainstream.
Both huge projects will be located in San Luis Obispo County's California Valley, although they are not adjacent to each other. When complete, they are expected to hold the record for the world's largest set of grid-connected solar photovoltaic installations.
Once the solar farms are up and running, they will deliver enough energy to power 239,000 homes a year, nearly 12 times as much electricity as the largest such plant operating today.
Generating 250 megawatts of power, SunPower's California Valley Solar Ranch is the smaller of the two. It is expected to begin power delivery in 2010 and be fully operational in 2012, using high-efficiency crystalline photovoltaic panels that generate up to 50 percent more power than conventional crystalline cells.
The larger of the two projects at 550 megawatts, OptiSolar's Topaz Solar Farm will use its own proprietary thin-film solar cells manufactured in Hayward and Sacramento.
Located on the northwestern corner of the Carrisa Plains in California Valley, this solar farm is expected to begin delivering power in 2011 and be fully operational by 2013.
Both projects are contingent upon the extension of the federal investment tax credit for renewable energy.
"These landmark agreements signal the arrival of utility-scale PV solar power that may be cost-competitive with solar thermal and wind energy," said Jack Keenan, chief operating officer and senior vice president for PG&E.
Utility-scale PV solar projects convert sunlight directly into electricity and produce the greatest amounts of power during the afternoons, when electricity demand is high, Keenan explained.
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