The Copper Mountain Solar Facility is a three-phase project owned by San Diego-based Sempra Energy, one of the world’s largest natural-gas producers.
Construction on Phase 1 of the Copper Mountain project began in January 2010 south of Boulder City to the west of US 95 in Eldorado Valley. This is an ideal place for a solar-power plant: There’s a large amount of available land; the valley receives an average of 320 days of annual sunlight; and there’s easy access to existing transmission lines coming from Hoover Dam a few miles away. In addition, no water is used to generate photovoltaic electricity.
It was completed in December 2010. Nearly a million photovoltaic solar panels spread across 450 acres convert sunlight into enough electricity to power 17,000 houses; the main market is Southern California (under a 20-year purchase agreement with Pacific Gas & Electric).
When Phase 1 was completed, it was the largest photovoltaic plant in the U.S., generating 100 gigawatt-hours per year of renewable energy.
In 2011, Copper Mountain was named the Solar Project of the Year by Renewable Energy World, placing first out of hundreds of nominees in the category.
On March 19, 2012, President Obama visited the facility and made a speech there about alternative energy.
A second and third Copper Mountain facility are in the works. The first stage of Phase 2 came online in late 2012 with 92 megawatts; the second 58-MW stage is scheduled for completion in 2015. Phase 2’s total 150 MW will generate electricity for 45,000 Southern California homes, under a 25-year deal with PG&E.
Phase 3 will more than double the size of Phases 1 and 2 combined, with 250 MW capable for powering 80,000 houses. When completed in late 2015, the power will be sold to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the City of Burbank under a 20-year contract with the Southern California Public Power Authority.
In addition to Copper Mountain’s Phases 2 and 3, three other solar projects are on the drawing board for Eldorado Valley.
The Copper Mountain project alone is expected to generate $35 million in state tax revenue over the life of its 30-year lease. Boulder City will collect an additional $60 million over the course of the lease for renting the land to Sempra.
