First Solar announced a power purchase agreement to supply Pacific Gas and Electric Company with electricity from a 300 MW (AC) utility-scale PV solar power facility that First Solar is developing in Southern California.

The Desert Sunlight project, to be located near Desert Center in eastern Riverside County, will have a total capacity of 550 MW, which is enough to power approximately 160,000 area homes – or about 480,000 residents. The other 250 MW portion of the project is already under contract to Southern California Edison. First Solar's power purchase agreements with PG&E and SCE are subject to the approval of the California Public Utilities Commission.

The construction is expected to start by the end of 2010 and completion as early as 2013. When completed, the project will displace 300,000 metric tons of CO2 per year, the equivalent of taking 60,000 cars off the road. It will also create approximately 430 construction jobs…

[source: First Solar]