Solar-power developer SunEdison opened new Westminster offices Monday that will spearhead the firm’s growth in the Western U.S.
The new facility will employ about 30 workers for SunEdison, North America’s largest solar-energy services provider.
SunEdison’s 8.2-megawatt solar generating station near Alamosa is the largest utility-scale photovoltaic power plant in the nation. It provides enough electricity to supply about 1,500 homes.
The Beltsville, Md.-based company also has built a 1-megawatt solar system along West Sixth Avenue at the Denver Federal Center and is developing a total of 2.3 megawatts of solar generation at two municipal facilities in Rifle.
The new Westminster facility will be an operations center for regulatory affairs and project development in Colorado, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico.
SunEdison sees the West as a major growth market for solar energy because of renewable-energy mandates in several states, including Colorado.
The cost of power from the sun competes with the traditional generating fuels of coal and natural gas and protects consumers from price volatility of those fuels, said Jigar Shah, founder of SunEdison.
“Solar power enables consumers to get off the roller-coaster ride of (fossil-fuel pricing) and offers them fixed utility costs for 25 years,” said Shah, who holds the title of chief visionary officer for SunEdison.
Shah said the firm’s Western expansion is continuing despite Congress’ inability so far this year to renew a package of federal tax credits that have driven the nation’s growth in solar and wind power.
“We believe most of the leadership (for renewable energy) will be coming from the states, and based on that, the pressure on Washington will be overwhelming” to extend the credits, Shah said.
Gov. Bill Ritter said at Monday’s opening ceremony that the SunEdison facility is another example of Colorado’s stature in attracting renewable-energy projects and companies.
“When the nation thinks about how we can diversify our energy portfolio,” Ritter said, “they increasingly think of solar and look to Colorado.”
Steve Raabe: 303-954-1948 or sraabe@denverpost.com
