Financing Approved For 20-megawatt (MW) Solar Park In Arizona

The Board of
Directors of the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) and the North
American Development Bank (NADB) announced the certification of four new
projects that together will receive loans and grants totalling more than US$136
million and will  benefit approximately
one million residents in various communities in the U.S.-Mexico border region.

Beyond their
environmental benefits, these infrastructure projects are expected to  help generate
economic development and employment on both sides of the border. 

Among the projects
approved for financing is a 20-megawatt (MW) solar energy park in Picture
Rocks, Arizona, which is expected to generate sufficient electricity to supply
power to approximately 3,500 homes in the metropolitan area of Tucson. A loan
of up to US$88.5 million has been approved for SunEdison. The project will
displace greenhouse gases produced by traditional fossil-fuel based energy generation
and thus improve air quality.  A
comprehensive paving project in Mexicali, Baja California will provide first-time
paving of almost 12 million square feet of dirt roads and will include the
rehabilitation of water and wastewater lines. NADB will provide a US$11 million
loan to the city, which will cover about 33% of the US$46.4 million cost of the
project. Increased street paving coverage will help reduce air pollution from
vehicular dust, thus improving air quality for people living in Mexicali,  as well as in the neighbouring county of Imperial,
California. 

An additional
project in Baja California consists of providing water, wastewater, storm water
and paving infrastructure for the Valle de las Palmas housing development
located southeast of Tijuana. A US$36.6 million loan has been approved for the
Valle de las Palmas development trust. This project is part of a proactive
local, state and federal effort to prevent unregulated urban sprawl and related
pollution problems, while providing affordable housing to low-income
families. 

The Board also
voted to certify a US$1.8 million water project in Praxedis Guerrero, Chihuahua
to provide 600 residential potable water hookups, along with an elevated storage
tank and the needed water distribution lines that will increase the quality of
life in the community by providing access to drinking water and decreasing the
risk of water-borne diseases. The project will receive a US$549,488 grant through
the Bank's Border Environment Infrastructure Fund (BEIF), which is funded by
the U.S.