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SunPeak Solar Chief Executive Officer David Rennie gives a hand to those who worked on the company's 23-megawatt project near Niland. The company brought out community members and leaders who helped the photovoltaic project come about. (ELIZABETH VARIN PHOTO / May 5, 2012) |
NILAND — What was once fields filed with tons of trash and glass and even half a car have turned into what some Friday said is the
vision of the future of Imperial County.
SunPeak Solar held a celebration Friday morning to inaugurate its 23-megawatt solar facility and to honor the community which had
made the project possible. But it was local officials thanking SunPeak for its continued work to benefit the community that took
the stage during the two-hour event.
“We resurrected junk land and turned it into a showcase for the Imperial Valley,” said David Rennie, chief executive officer of
SunPeak Solar LLC. “It gives people inspiration to do something in this county.”
Not only is the project the first utility-scale solar project in Imperial County, it has hired a number of locals, 89 out of the
93 the company had during peak construction, Rennie said. Even key administrators live within the Valley.
One of those is Chief Operating Officer Charles Hosken. He said Friday was a great day, though the celebration planning was a lot
of work.
It may not be the only event the group will have to plan as this is part one. Imperial Valley Solar Center 2 will add another 20
megawatts to the project, Hosken said. It is going through the interconnection process now.
The energy is also going to locals, as it is being sold to the Imperial Irrigation District, Rennie said.
The project will help power about 15,000 homes, said IID President of the Board John Pierre Menvielle. It has helped bring IID
closer to its renewable energy requirements, as well as making this area less reliant on outside energy sources.
“It is no exaggeration to say that our future greatly depends on a reliable, sustainable, affordable supply of energy,” he said.
“… As we work to capture nature’s energy from the abundant, renewable resources all around us, we must also seek creative ways to
meet green energy requirements in a manner that makes economic sense.”
vision of the future of Imperial County.
SunPeak Solar held a celebration Friday morning to inaugurate its 23-megawatt solar facility and to honor the community which had
made the project possible. But it was local officials thanking SunPeak for its continued work to benefit the community that took
the stage during the two-hour event.
“We resurrected junk land and turned it into a showcase for the Imperial Valley,” said David Rennie, chief executive officer of
SunPeak Solar LLC. “It gives people inspiration to do something in this county.”
Not only is the project the first utility-scale solar project in Imperial County, it has hired a number of locals, 89 out of the
93 the company had during peak construction, Rennie said. Even key administrators live within the Valley.
One of those is Chief Operating Officer Charles Hosken. He said Friday was a great day, though the celebration planning was a lot
of work.
It may not be the only event the group will have to plan as this is part one. Imperial Valley Solar Center 2 will add another 20
megawatts to the project, Hosken said. It is going through the interconnection process now.
The energy is also going to locals, as it is being sold to the Imperial Irrigation District, Rennie said.
The project will help power about 15,000 homes, said IID President of the Board John Pierre Menvielle. It has helped bring IID
closer to its renewable energy requirements, as well as making this area less reliant on outside energy sources.
“It is no exaggeration to say that our future greatly depends on a reliable, sustainable, affordable supply of energy,” he said.
“… As we work to capture nature’s energy from the abundant, renewable resources all around us, we must also seek creative ways to
meet green energy requirements in a manner that makes economic sense.”
