EDF moves into Nevada solar market with latest acquisition

French power producer EDF Renewable Energy has expanded its footprint in the US with the acquisition of two solar projects in Nevada.

EDF RE purchased the projects, Switch Station 1 and 2, from US-based developer First Solar, according to a statement. The projects generate a combined 179MW and are EDF’s move into the Nevada solar market, a state considered to have high potential for solar power generation.

The projects are under construction in an area called the Dry Lake Solar Energy Zone in Nevada, which is managed by the US Bureau of Land Management. Switch Station 1 and 2 are under construction but have power-purchase agreements to sell production to local utilities including Nevada Power Company, NV Energy and Sierra Pacific Power Company.

Ryan Pfaff, EDF RE executive vice-president, said the company plans to build on this acquisition with additional projects in Nevada in the coming years.

The French clean energy producer has been busy – last month it announced an expansion in the Brazilian solar market. EDF RE acquired an 80 percent stake in a 115MW solar project in south-eastern Brazil. The deal was part of a development pipeline with Canadian Solar to build a clean energy portfolio in Brazil. The company also agreed last month to develop a 100MW wind farm for a utility in Minnesota.

Overall, EDF RE has built a portfolio of more than 9GW of clean energy capacity in North America.