Solar (PV and CSP)

Photovoltaic (or PV) solar uses thin-film photovoltaic solar panels to convert sunlight directly into electricity without the need for process water or steam turbines. NRG owns the largest PV solar project in California, the 21 megawatt (MW) power plant in Blythe, Calif. Located in Riverside County about 200 miles east of Los Angeles. Power from the Blythe facility is sold to Southern California Edison under a 20-year power purchase agreement. At peak capacity, the project can supply the power needs of almost 17,000 homes while helping California meet its renewable energy goals.

Built and operated by First Solar for NRG, the project uses First Solar's industry-leading thin film PV panels that convert sunlight directly into electricity with no water consumption during operation. The Blythe plant will generate more than 45,000 megawatt-hours of clean, affordable, sustainable electricity per year, avoiding approximately 12,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually—the equivalent of taking more than 2,200 cars off the road.

NRG's partnership with BrightSource, a leading developer of concentrating solar power (CSP) technology, will allow us to advance our renewable energy portfolio while helping to accelerate the development of clean solar power on a commercial scale.

NRG is the lead investor, along with Google and Brightsource, of the 392 MW Ivanpah project currently being developed in southeastern California’s Mojave Desert. BrightSource's CSP technology uses a field of mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto a thermal receiver. The captured sunlight heats water to produce high-pressure steam that powers a traditional turbine generator. Using BrightSource's technology, NRG will produce clean, zero-fuel cost electricity that is coincident with peak demand on the hottest summer days.