First Solar Inc. and Southern California Edison (SCE) have announced agreements to build two large-scale solar power projects in Riverside and San Bernardino counties in Southern California. The installations, which will be among the largest of their kind, will have a generation capacity of 550 megawatts of photovoltaic solar electricity--enough to provide power to approximately 170,000 homes. The agreements are subject to approval by the California Public Utilities Commission.

"Southern California Edison is always looking for innovative ways to deliver clean power from renewable sources. First Solar is an excellent partner in helping us achieve our goals," said Stuart Hemphill, SCE senior vice president, Power Procurement. "This agreement is good for our customers, for the industry and for the environment."

First Solar will engineer, procure and construct the two solar facilities, using its industry leading thin-film photovoltaic solar modules. The projects are the 250 megawatt Desert Sunlight project near Desert Center, California, and the 300 megawatt Stateline project in northeastern San Bernardino County. Pending network upgrades and receipt of applicable governmental permits, construction is scheduled to begin in 2012 for Desert Sunlight and 2013 for Stateline. Both projects are expected to be completed in 2015. Several hundred construction jobs are expected to be created at each site. When completed, the solar projects will produce 1.2 billion kilowatt-hours of clean energy per year.

"Supplying solar power to Southern California Edison and its customers advances our mission of providing clean, affordable and sustainable solar electricity," said John Carrington, First Solar executive vice president, Marketing and Business Development. "These projects will help California reach its renewable energy goals, and are powerful examples of large-scale photovoltaic solar generation becoming a reality in the United States."

California currently has a goal of delivering 20% of electricity from renewable sources by 2010 and is considering legislation to increase the goal to 33% by 2020. SCE is the nation's leading purchaser of renewable energy and, in 2008, delivered 12.6 billion kilowatt-hours of energy to its customers from renewable resources--about 16% of its total energy portfolio. In addition, the utility delivered more than 65% of the solar energy produced in the United States for its customers in 2008.

About First Solar

First Solar Inc. is changing the way the world is powered by creating clean, affordable and sustainable solar energy solutions. First Solar manufactures solar modules with an advanced semiconductor technology and provides comprehensive photovoltaic system solutions. By constantly decreasing manufacturing costs, First Solar is creating an affordable and environmentally responsible alternative to fossil-fuel generation. With over 4,000 employees around the world, the company is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, and has manufacturing facilities in Ohio, Germany and Malaysia. For more information, visit www.firstsolar.com.

About Southern California Edison

An Edison International company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California. Visit www.sce.com/renewables for more information.