Ground broken for Ontario’s largest solar park to date

SNL Power Week West April 28, 2008

Solar energy developers SkyPower Corp. and SunEdison Canada began construction April 21 on what they said will be North America’s largest solar photovoltaic energy park to date. Located on 300 acres in southeastern Ontario, the 19-MW facility, called First Light, is expected to be in service by the end of 2009.

First Light will be built in two phases, with transmission provider Hydro One Inc. delivering power to customers in the township of Stone Mills, Ontario. Provincial Energy Minister Gerry Phillips said that since the Ontario Power Authority initiated a renewable energy standard offer program in 2006, it has already exceeded its 10-year target of garnering 1,000 MW of contracted generation.

“Through innovation, creativity and hard work, SkyPower, SunEdison and the Province of Ontario are ‘making dirt fly’ and putting assets in the ground to help mitigate climate change,” said Theodore Roosevelt IV, managing director of Lehman Brothers, and chairman of the firm’s global council on climate change. Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. has an ownership interest in SkyPower.

SunEdison LLC CEO Tom Rainwater said his corporation believes in working locally with strong partners like SkyPower, which currently has interests in more than 100 wind and solar projects at various stages of development in 12 provinces and states. It also has a wind energy development under way in India and hydro projects in Panama.

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