UMPA, sPower sign agreement for 80MW PV project in Utah

Utah Municipal Power Agency (UMPA) has signed off on an agreement with sPower to provide renewable energy to six cities within the state by way of an 80MW PV installation. 

This new solar plant, which will be constructed in Juab County, will be providing 80MW of renewable energy for member cities within UMPA’s service area. The site also represents a capital expenditure of approximately US$80 million into Juab County. 

Since 1980, UMPA has been the electrical provider to the cities of Provo, Spanish Fork, Nephi, Salem, Manti and Levan.

Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi said: “Since becoming mayor, we have been pushing for adding more renewable sources to Provo’s electricity mix. For some time, we have watched the growth of roof top solar in our community and now we will be adding this large solar project to the mix. Provo has been very active in reducing its carbon footprint based on the efforts of Provo’s Sustainability Committee and our energy efficiency programs. We are grateful for the employees at Provo Power in providing reliable service and keeping our lights on.”

sPower will be the owner and operator of the Clover Creek project, which will employ approximately 300 workers during its 4-6 month construction phase. Despite boasting a PV/wind pipeline with over 1,650MW of installed capacity, the Clover Creek site stands as sPower’s first utility scale project developed in Utah, its home state. 

sPower CEO Ryan Creamer said: “We are excited to be a long-term neighbor in Juab County, and look forward to creating supportive relationships with the county, school district and other local businesses. Developing solar power in Utah is important to sPower, because we live, work and play here – it is our home. Working cooperatively towards a common goal with UMPA, Rocky Mountain Power and numerous other teams has been critical in bringing this agreement together. I am proud of this milestone and the hard work that has been demonstrated to date.”

Utah boasts a rather robust PV market, with nearly 800MW of PV capacity installed within the state over the last five years. 

Earlier this month, the US Solar Fund (USF) closed on both the acquisition and financing of 100% of the cash equity interests in the 128MW Milford Solar Project, located in Beaver County, Utah. Construction on the installation is expected to begin immediately, with full commercial operations expected before the end of 2020. 

In May, Facebook signed off on a PPA for 122MW worth of PV capacity that will be used to power the company’s Eagle Mountain data centre. Construction of the 122MW Cove Mountain 2 PV site is slated to start in late 2019 and lead to commercial launch during 2020.