The northeast United States is not usually considered a hot spot for large-scale solar power projects like the ones being developed in California and the southwest. But yesterday Pennsylvania announced it will get the largest photovoltaic solar power plant east of the Mississippi. The 3-megawatt power station will be financed and built by Germany solar company Conergy’s Epuron and SunTechnics subsidiaries. Epuron inked a 20-year power purchase agreement with utility Exelon (EXC), which operates the nation’s largest fleet of nuclear plants. The 17,000-panel PV plant will be built in Bucks County, outside Philadelphia. The size of the plant is small in contrast to some of the 500-megawatt solar thermal stations being developed for California utilities PG&E (PCG), Southern California Edison (EIX) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SRE) – or even PV plants like the 15-megawatt facility being built by PowerLight (SPWR) in Nevada. But the Pennsylvania project indicates that the market for Big Solar is not limited to the sunbelt. it’s also a sign that Conergy, one of the world’s biggest solar companies, is serious about its recent move into the U.S.
Big Solar Comes to the Northeast
August 31, 2007 by Todd Woody
Green Wombat 
The utility appears to be less then sincere in developing alternative solutions to traditional power generation by building such a small solar plant relative to the size of its nuclear facilities. However, managements decision to make this small concession illustrates that utility companies must address the publics growing concern about energy issues. The consumer in requiring Green alternatives may provide the stimulus to develop more innovative cost effective solutions in power generation.
Jason Galanis