Conergy to build solar plant in Pennsylvania

Germany's Conergy said yesterday that it plans to build a $20 million solar power plant in Pennsylvania.

Epuron, a subsidiary of Conergy, will finance the Falls Township project, expected to have more than 17,000 solar panels.

The power plant will be the nation's fourth largest solar photovoltaic generation project, trailing facilities in California and Arizona.

"Epuron is very excited about this benchmark photovoltaic project that will launch utility scale solar power plants in Pennsylvania and the entire Eastern United States," said Arndt Lutz, regional manager for Epuron.

The plant will be designed by Conergy sister company SunTechnics Energy Systems and sited on land leased from Waste Management.

Waste Management's G.R.O.W.S. Landfill is adjacent to the planned 16.5-acre solar project.

"This will be the biggest array ever built on the East Coast and the result of a successful cooperation among Exelon, Waste Management and Epuron, in a major step toward energy independence and greenhouse gas reduction," said Lutz.

Chicago-based power company Exelon (NYSE: EXC), which owns Philadelphia's Peco Energy, signed a 20-year power purchase agreement for electricity generated by the solar plant.

The plant is expected to produce 3,700 megawatt hours annually. It's scheduled to be operational in the second quarter of 2008.