User:IGMPVD/sandbox

On July 7, 2015, '''8minutenergy Renewables, (8minutenergy) and D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments, L.L.C. (DESRI)''' announced the completion of permitting and start of construction of the 137 megawatts-dc (105 MW-ac) Springbok 1 Solar Farm, located 70 miles north of Los Angeles in Kern County, California.

Springbok 1 Solar Farm has a signed Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the '''Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA)''', on behalf of its participating member, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP).

Springbok 1 Solar Farm is a utility-scale solar generation facility sited on up to about 700 acres of low-productivity farmland. 8minutenergy began developing the project in 2011. Swinerton Builders is serving as the engineering, procurement, and construction firm, with affiliates of 8minutenergy and DESRI overseeing construction management. DESRI led the equity investment in the project and secured debt and tax equity financing. The project is being financed by a syndicate of lenders, including KeyBank National Association, Santander Bank, N.A., OneWest Bank, N.A., CoBank, ACB, and Siemens Financial Services, Inc. U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation provided a commitment for tax equity financing. The project is expected to reach its commercial operations date in June 2016. It is expected to displace the equivalent of approximately 300,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, which is equal to the amount that roughly 12 million trees would displace annually.