Fonroche Puerto Rico Solar Farm: French Company To Invest Millions In Energy Project

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- A French company says it will invest $115 million to build a 44-megawatt solar farm in Puerto Rico.

Fonroche said this week that the farm will be built on 160 acres (65 hectares) and will provide power to the state-owned electric company as part of a 20-year, $240 million contract.

Fonroche is the latest foreign renewable-energy company to invest in the U.S. Caribbean territory.

Virginia-based company AES Solar announced in October that it would build a solar energy project in southern Puerto Rico.

The island's southern coast also will be home to the Caribbean's largest wind farm in a project featuring 44 turbines built by San Francisco-based Pattern Energy.

Comments

[unibatteryandsolarpower]

09:21 AM on 04/11/2012

VAMOS HAVER QUE PASA CON LAS NEGOCIACIONES CON FRONROCHE Y UNI-BATTERY AND SOLAR POWER INC. UNA COMPANIA AMERICA CON EL PRESIDENTE PUERTORIQUENO, TRATARA DE COMPRAR EL PROJECTO SOLAR.ESE SOY YO.

[alvdh1]

09:58 AM on 11/20/2011

Utility scale solar ignores the efficient use of rooftop solar where the power is consumed where it is produced.

[Genders]

09:32 PM on 11/23/2011

To put it gently. ;)

Cover the roofs first! There is enough rooftop and parking lot area to supply more than 100% of peak electrical needs!

Of course the utilities hate that, they won't control it!

[beckjr2000]

02:46 PM on 11/18/2011

Fonroche, like AES and Pattern Energy, would not be investing in these projects unless it had a guaranteed return on their investment. You can get those from state-owned electric company. You can't get a deal like this in the 48 unless it's a Federal Contract.

[Genders]

09:32 PM on 11/23/2011

Nukes get 500M$ per year per reactor.

[Joseph Armington]

08:48 PM on 01/01/2012

so the only way to win is if one has a deal with the gov't.

[Kenz300]

12:34 PM on 11/18/2011

The cost of oil is rising. Those that believe PEAK OIL theory say rising demand from China and India will soon outpace supply raising the price for all. Will we be ready will alternatives when the price of oil shoots up and the supply is not there?

[CAELadyJane50]

04:43 AM on 11/18/2011

It is my opinion that every dairy farmer have a good supply of green energy (solar energy panels and wind turbines) on their farms in case of power outages. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people in the New York region has been suffering power outages for several weeks at a time for the last couple of years now. There isn't enough animals and plants in wild life to feed all Americans in the U.S. to last more than a couple of months if the whole U.S. would suffer power failure.

[Genders]

09:36 PM on 11/23/2011

You left out poo! Dairy farms can make more money of methane from poo than milk!

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/etap/inaction/pdfs/apr07_biofuel_waste_dairy.pdf

[CAELadyJane50]

02:50 AM on 11/25/2011

So maybe what we need is Dairy Farms to be government owned and operated so us Americans will never go hungry even during a blackout or power grid failure????

[Michael D Ballantine]

03:59 AM on 11/18/2011

So, let's ask the obvious question. Where are US investment dollars if it is so good, the French are investing? We need a President that understands energy issues, not pays lip service to them.

[CAELadyJane50]

04:37 AM on 11/18/2011

President Obama did have some of the Federal Government buildings supplied with solar energy panels but the GOP argued against him for this saying it was too costly even though it saves energy and money in the long run. President Obama was smart in thinking long term but the GOP only cared about short term spending and not long term savings.

[Michael D Ballantine]

06:13 AM on 11/18/2011

If you believe in something you have to fight for it. Compromise only works when you get something and they give something. Too often this President gives and never gets.

[Chili Chili]

10:55 AM on 11/18/2011

Fonroche Energie appears to be a private company risking private investment dollars. This has nothing to do with a President, French or otherwise, deciding to spend taxpayer dollars. The more logical question may be why aren't private US energy companies building such a plant. If you can make a good case for such an investment, go to the market, make your pitch, raise the funds and build the plant.

[Michael D Ballantine]

07:39 PM on 11/18/2011

You show your lack of understanding of the complexities of European businesses. In the US we finance a solar-photovoltaic company and it files for bankruptcy. In France, they subsidize it and then have private companies with special relationships market the production. Before you open your mouth and insert your foot, it is best to look all the way down the supply chain. (http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2700)

[malango]

10:20 PM on 11/17/2011

Puerto Rico Lo hace Mejor

[artleads]

10:07 PM on 11/17/2011

Costa Rica has been praised for its over 90% use or renewable energy. Also, their forests are pristine. I wonder if the Puerto Rican project will have similar regard for land preservation, and hope they don't disfigure the landscape for this big-energy enterprise.

[trumphent]

02:07 AM on 11/18/2011

I don't think that there is that much to worry about. PR has lots of sites left over from the days of colonialism that will benefit from solar farms. What's ironic, a French company invests in Puerto Rico rather than Haiti, France's former colony. Haiti has a much higher ratio of desolation than PR.

[Bullitt08]

09:06 PM on 11/18/2011

There is no money to be made in Haiti.

[Genders]

09:39 PM on 11/23/2011

The colonial powers are still punishing Haiti for going to democracy.

[Chili Chili]

10:44 AM on 11/18/2011

Where do you get the 90% figure?

This report shows that almost 100% of power generated in Puerto Rico in 2009 was from oil, coal or natural gas. http://www.aeepr.com/INVESTORS/Financial%20Information/Annual%20Reports/ConsEng_36th_Rpt_2009%20Annual%20Report%20Final.pdf

The report also shows that peak demand for Puerto Rico is about 3,700 MW. So at the 160 acres/44 MW planned in this project, 3,700 MW would require 13,454 acres or 21 square miles - to have power during the daytime when it is not cloudy. Oh, and to have power at night or when it is cloudy, you'll need the coal, oil and/or gas plants.

[artleads]

04:58 PM on 11/18/2011

http://www.metaefficient.com/renewable-power/costa-rica-is-99-powered-by-renewable-energy.html

[Kenz300]

09:33 PM on 11/17/2011

Wind, solar, geothermal, wave energy and second generation biofuels made from algae, cellulose and waste are the future. The world produces a lot of trash every day. That trash can now be turned into fuel, energy and raw materials for new products.

The cost of oil and coal keep rising while the price of wind and solar are dropping.

[SagesseBleu]

06:47 PM on 11/17/2011

Good to see investment in Puerto Rico which will also help lower electricity costs.

[dgosha]

04:59 PM on 11/17/2011

Liberals scream and holler about a few oil derricks or a pipeline but don't care if huge solar or wind farms cover acres of land.

And for one simple reason. They irrationally HATE oil just because it is oil. Even though oil comes from "mother" earth and was, at one time, plants and animals. Something liberals SHOULD love.

[SagesseBleu]

06:47 PM on 11/17/2011

Go take a few breaths off a tailpipe on a running SUV and then come back to tell us how much we ought to love oil.

[NWBrunette]

06:49 PM on 11/17/2011

Wow, that's mighty simplistic even for a limbonnet.

[dgosha]

08:50 PM on 11/17/2011

You liberals come up with the stupidest names for insults.