Press release
Capital Dynamics, First Solar Celebrate Commissioning of the 280MWac California Flats Solar Project
NEW YORK and TEMPE, Ariz., May 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Capital Dynamics, an independent global private asset management firm, and First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:
About this update from First Solar, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":" NEW YORK and TEMPE, Ariz., May 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Capital Dynamics, an independent global private asset management firm, and First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) today announced the completion and commercial operation of the 280-megawatt (MW)AC California Flats Solar Project. The project is located on approximately 2,900 acres of ranch land within the Jack Ranch owned by Hearst, near the borders of San Luis Obispo and Monterey County in California.\n\n \nThe project partners placed significant emphasis on successfully co-locating the project with one of the largest working cattle ranches in the United States while minimizing and mitigating the environmental impact of constructing the solar plant. Ranch employees worked in tandem with the construction and operation teams, with input from stakeholders, to assess and plan the development; as a result, the facility has a very low visual impact and cannot be seen from any public roads. The project supports and complements the sustainable cattle operation of the ranch, which provides grass-fed beef to Whole Foods Market's Southern Pacific region, reducing pressure to use the ranch land for other commercial purposes.\n\"The California Flats Solar Project helped us meet our goal of finding a sustainable solution to keep the 73,000-acre Jack Ranch intact as a historic working cattle ranch using traditional and time-proven ranching methods for our grass-fed Hearst Ranch Beef program,\" said Steve Hearst, Vice President and General Manager of Hearst Western Properties. \"Countless hours have been invested by Hearst and our partners in bringing this sizable, complex project to fruition and ensuring it operates seamlessly with our cattle operation and ranch environment.\"\nThe project, which covers approximately three percent of the area of the ranch, was built in two phases and is fully contracted under two long-term PPAs serving both utility and corporate renewable customers. First Solar completed development and constructed the facility after acquiring the project in 2015. Capital Dynamics acquired the project from First Solar in August 2017.\n\"We are pleased to officially open the California Flats Solar Project, one of the largest solar projects in the United States. First Solar and Hearst have been great partners, and we are proud to be the first to use the First Solar Series 6 sola...