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SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 9, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB) today announced an agreement with Iberdrola Renewables to design and build a 20-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic solar power plant, Copper Crossing, on 144 acres of former private agricultural land in Pinal County, Arizona. The plant, which began construction this month and is expected to create approximately 200 jobs during construction, will be fully operational in 2011.

Last month, SunPower announced an agreement to design and build a 30-MW solar power plant for Iberdrola Renewables in Alamosa County, Colo.

Iberdrola Renewables is developing Copper Crossing, and will own and operate it. The company will sell the electricity under a long-term contract to utility provider Salt River Project for distribution on the region's utility grid. The project will create employment opportunities and provide revenue for schools, health, fire, and other critical services in Pinal County.  

"We are excited to enter the U.S. solar business by building our first 50 megawatts with SunPower," said Martin Mugica, executive vice president of Iberdrola Renewables. "Their construction experience and established technology allows us to deliver homegrown, clean and reliable energy to our customers."

The plant will use the SunPower Oasis™ Power Plant product, a fully integrated, modular solar power block that is engineered to rapidly and cost-effectively deploy utility-scale solar projects while optimizing land use. Each power block integrates the SunPower® T0 Tracker with SunPower's high-efficiency, E19 series solar panels, pre-manufactured system cabling, and other advanced features. The power block kits are shipped pre-assembled to the job site for rapid field installation, and offer the highest capacity factor and the most reliable long-term performance.

"SunPower Oasis is a ground-breaking, utility-scale solar solution that optimizes energy production, installation speed, material cost, and long-term reliability," said Howard Wenger, president of SunPower's utility and power plants business group. "We are pleased to be installing our Oasis product for the first time on a plant for Iberdrola Renewables, a global leader in solar power development."

About SunPower

Founded in 1985, SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB) designs, manufactures and delivers the planet's most powerful solar technology broadly available today. Residential, business, government and utility customers rely on the company's experience and proven results to maximize return on investment. With headquarters in San Jose, Calif., SunPower has offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. For more information, visit www.sunpowercorp.com.

SunPower is a registered trademark of SunPower Corp.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE SunPower Corp.