Federal report provides details on Crescent Dunes solar plant in Nevada

Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Plant has generated over $4 million in energy sales, according to the third quarter report - down from $11 million from the same quarter in 2016.

Tonopah Solar Energy, LLC, a subsidiary company of SolarReserve, had $4,404,272 in sales according to the report filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the U.S. Department of Energy’s arm that oversees the wholesale of the power and transmission of power plants across the nation.

The average price in megawatts per hour at Crescent Dunes was $136.41 during the third quarter that ran from July through September, the document said.

FERC’s data for the third quarter of 2016 showed that the solar plant had generated $11,437,584.52. The average price in megawatts per hour during that quarter was $135.06.

FERC’s Electric Quarterly Report provides data summarizing the contractual terms and conditions for all of its jurisdictional services. This includes cost-based sales, market-based rate sales and transmission service, as well as transactional information for short and long-term market-based power sales and cost-based power sales.

Mark Severts, communications director for NV Energy, the sole customer of Crescent Dunes, declined to comment on the quarterly earnings report.

“We can’t respond to any questions related to reports or earnings of other companies. It just would not be fair. SolarReserve is the only entity that can respond to whatever report you are referencing,” Severts said in an email.

NV Energy began receiving energy from Crescent Dunes on July 12 for the first time since the facility was shut down for repairs and maintenance in late October 2016.

The Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project had no energy sales during the first and second quarters of 2017, according to previous federal reports.

The fourth quarter report that will show the plant’s performance from October through December is not yet available.

Mary Grikas, spokeswoman for SolarReserve declined to comment.

“Tonopah Solar Energy is a private company, of which SolarReserve is a minority owner, and we don’t discuss financials publicly,” Grikas said in an email.

Contact reporter Daria Sokolova at dsokolova@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @dariasokolova77