Working on Solar Power Generation

Helping Prevent Global Warming through Construction of Major U.S. Solar Power Plant in California

The U.S. government has put in place a number of schemes to encourage the development of renewable energy, as part of proactive initiatives to help prevent global warming. Eurus Energy Holdings Corporation, an affiliated company of Toyota Tsusho, has constructed a solar power plant in the United States with capacity of 45,000 kW. This plant, the largest of its type in the United States, commenced operations in August 2011.

Government Stimulus Measures Expected to Promote Further Expansion of the Solar Power Generation Business

Considering renewable energy as an effective way to combat global warming, the U.S. government has introduced incentives to promote its development. The government is also cultivating the industry because it sees renewable and related businesses as potential sources of new employment. The national government is supporting the industry through such measures as making the introduction of biofuels mandatory, investing in job creation and assisting technical developments. In addition, 37 states including California have introduced a system called the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), which sets a minimum renewable energy percentage that power companies must exceed in the power that they provide.

Owing to measures such as these, the amount of power generated from renewable energy is growing at a rapid pace in the United States; during the three years from 2005 through 2007, wind power generation and bioiethanol each grew by more than 30%. Furthermore, the region of the United States that is known as the Sun Belt, the area south of the 37th parallel, is particularly well suited to solar power and solar thermal electric generation. Going forward, solar power generation in the United States is expected to grow at an annual rate of around 40%, and expectations for other countries are running high, as well.

New Solar Power Plant to Provide 45,000 kW of Electricity—Enough to Power 10,000 U.S. Households

Since its 1987 commencement of operations in the United States, in California's Mohave Desert, Eurus Energy Holdings Corporation has developed its wind power generation business in the states of Texas, Oregon and Illinois. At present, the company's total wind power generation capacity in the United States amounts to more than 586,960 kW.

In 2010, Eurus Energy Holdings joined a local power company to begin construction on a solar power plant—one of the largest in the United States with a total capacity of 45,000 kW—in Avenal, California. The company concluded a 20-year contract to supply power to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), California's largest power producer. Through this agreement, the company will supply power equivalent to the annual consumption of 10,000 U.S. households. The plant began operations in August 2011.

Meanwhile, to accelerate our business in the area of natural energy, in February 2010 we increased the capital of Eurus Energy Holdings through a shareholder allotment to Tokyo Electric Power Company, Inc. Toyota Tsusho will continue to focus on the development and commercialization of natural energy.

Toyota Tsusho Affiliate Embarks on the Business of Power Generation Using Natural Energy

Eurus Energy Holdings Corporation, a jointly capitalized company owned 60% by Tokyo Electric Power Company, Inc., and 40% by Toyota Tsusho, is in the business of using natural energy to generate power. Boasting the highest capacity of any wind power generation company in Japan, Eurus Energy operates wind farms in six countries and has a total generation capacity of 2 million kW.

The company is also involved in solar power generation, which it began in South Korea in 2008. As of August 2011, the company's solar power plants had a capacity of 48,968 kW. Expectations are focusing on this field, which is slated for continued growth.

Solar Power Generation in Avenal

Avenal Solar Holdings LLC, which builds and operates power plants, has established a 50–50 joint venture with Eurus Energy America Corp.—the U.S. subsidiary of Eurus Energy Holdings Corporation—and the NRG Group, a local power company. The company sourced plant's solar panels from Sharp Corporation. The electricity produced by this venture will be provided to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) for use in Northern California.

Principal Generation Facilities

We are helping to promote the spread of renewable energy in the United States.

As the problem of global warming grows more pronounced, and the expanding energy demands of Asia's emerging markets push the prices of energy resources ever higher, countries around the world are encouraging efforts to develop renewable energy.

Spurred by U.S. government policies to promote such development, the amount of energy supplied through wind power generation and bioethanol is rising rapidly.

Solar power generation is also a growing focus of attention, particularly in the Sun Belt area of the United States, which enjoys long, sunny days.

In response to such demand, Toyota Tsusho affiliate Eurus Energy Holdings Corporation began building a solar power plant in California in 2010. This mega-solar plant, which is one of the largest in the United States with total output of 45,000 kW, commenced operations in August 2011.

Kenichiro Nishikawa
General Manager
Power Project Development
Department

Social and Market Trends

As global warming grows more severe, countries around the world are focusing on the development of natural energy. In line with this trend, major progress has been made in the area of solar power generation since entering the 2000s.

With global capacity amounting to 966 MW in 2001, by 2009 solar energy power generation capacity had grown by more than 20 times, to 20,381 MW. This proliferation is expected to continue.

Cumulative Solar Power Generation Capacity

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