The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved the contract for Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s (PG&E) to purchase 150MW of renewable power from Sempra Generation’s Copper Mountain Solar 2 project in Nevada. The first of the 92MW of solar panels at Copper Mountain Solar 2 are expected to be installed by the end of 2012, with the remaining 58MW slated for completion by 2015. Under the terms of the 25-year contract, PG&E has the option to alter the commercial operation date of the second phase. The company expects to have 300MW of solar generation in operation by early 2013. Sempra Generation and Sempra Energy’s other US operations outside of its two California utilities will be merged into a new business unit called Sempra US Gas & Power in January 2012.