SCE’s solar project under way
Photovoltaic power plant
ROSEMEAD, Calif.—Construction is under way at a site in the San Joaquin Valley on what’s described by Southern California Edison as the state’s largest investor-owned utility photovoltaic power plant.
The construction project is expected to create about 125 jobs for Central and Southern California workers, according to SCE’s Gil Alexander.
The 29,400-panel solar array is being built on 32 acres of city land adjacent to the Porterville airport and will be capable of generating 6.7 million watts of electricity, enough power to serve 4,300 average homes on peak, he said.
SCE solar plants are online in Fontana and Chino, and six others are under construction in the Inland Empire.
During the next five years, SCE plans to install a total of 250 million watts of solar generation at up to 100 sites. The utility also plans to sign power purchase agreements with independent producers for an equal amount of solar generation.
“Our solar photovoltaic project is part of Southern California Edison’s continuous investment in clean generation and smart grid technologies to meet our customers’ future energy needs,” said SCE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alan Fohrer.
The solar plant to be installed at the Porterville site will be connected directly to SCE’s nearest neighborhood distribution circuit and benefit all of its customers in the region, according to the utility.
COMPTON, Calif. — A fire broke out today in a commercial building in Compton, possibly compromising power lines, county fire officials said.
The blaze was reported at 3:24 p.m. in the 5000 block of Compton Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The structure was engulfed in flames and continued to burn as of 4 p.m., fire officials said.
There may be power lines down behind the burning building, fire officials said. Southern California Edison were dispatched to the scene.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Southern California, including the Inland Empire, continues to have the nation’s worst air pollution and ranks fourth in short-term particle pollution and annual particle pollution, the American Lung Association said today.
The National Regulatory Research Institute’s October 2012 report, “The Role of Natural Gas in California’s Climate Policy,” stated: “As California transitions its energy infrastructure to one that is more environmentally friendly, natural gas holds promise as a fuel that can complement the state’s cap-and-trade program, energy-efficiency measures, and transition to renewables.”
Who wouldn’t want to spend the summer months sleeping until noon, and the rest of the day scouring the malls for the latest Hip Hop fashion or hanging out at the park shooting hoops?
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Los Angeles County increased to 10.4 percent in January, up from a revised 10.3 percent in December, the state Employment Development Department announced today.
The 10.4 percent unemployment rate was below the 11.6 percent rate in January 2012, according to the EDD.
In Orange County, where seasonally adjusted numbers were not available, the unemployment rate was 7.1 percent in January.
