Project Finance Magazine Picks Solar Star Projects as 2013 North American Solar Deal of the Year

(New York) – Project Finance magazine has selected the Solar Star Projects as its 2013 North American Solar Deal of the Year.  Akin Gump advised SunPower Corp on these projects.  SunPower developed and sold the projects to MidAmerican Solar and is building and will operate and maintain the projects for them.

The Solar Star Projects are two 579- megawatt co-located solar power plants in California’s Kern and Los Angeles counties. Combined, they are the world’s largest permitted solar development and will provide renewable energy to Southern California Edison under two long-term power purchase agreements. According to the EPA, the project is expected to offset more than 775,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, which is equivalent to removing almost three million cars from California's highways over 20 years of the plant's operation.

The Akin Gump team was led by partner and co-chair of the Firm’s global projects practice Adam Umanoff and included partners Elliot Hinds and Tom Dupuis and counsel Kristy Wagner, Andrew Oelz, Bill Salamandrakis and Courtney Matsuishi.

Founded in 1945, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 850 attorneys in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.