California greenlights two renewable energy development projects

Southern California Edison has received the thumbs-up from the California Public Utilities Commission to contract to buy clean energy from two new alternative energy projects.

The first, the Granite Wind development in San Bernardino County, will see the construction of a 41-megawatt wind farm slated to come online by Dec. 31, 2009. The facility, which can be expanded up to 81 megawatts, is being codeveloped by Renewable Energy Systems Americas Development, RENEWergy LLC and G.H. Energy Ltd.

Southern California Edison also has contracted with a new solar photovoltaic facility being developed by FSE Blythe in Blythe, Calif. The project is being touted as the first one in California to use utility-scale thin film photovoltaic technology, and it will have a capacity of between 7.4 and 21 megawatts. The projected switch-on date is October 2009.

Here's some more information from the utility about the projects.