San Francisco Public Utilities Adds 5 Mega Watts of Solar Energy

I was forwarded this yesterday,

Published in [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) has approved a new contract with Recurrent Energy to generate 5 megawatts (MW) of solar power atop the recently seismically-retrofitted Sunset Reservoir. The project, which is expected to be completed and generating solar power for the City in 2010, will be California's largest solar photovoltaic system and the nation's largest municipal solar project.

The project will also increase total municipal solar generation in San Francisco by more than 300%, from the current 2 MW to a total of 7 MW of solar power. The photovoltaic system and the solar energy it will generate will be developed and operated under a Power Purchase Agreement between the SFPUC and Recurrent Energy.

It is a good step forward, but I was surprised that San Francisco is only generating two megawatts now.