China-based ENN Group and Duke Energy will jointly develop commercial solar power projects in the U.S.

Under an agreement signed today, ENN and Duke Energy will concentrate on two types of solar photovoltaic designs: large "utility-scale" solar farms and commercial distributed generation solar projects. Distributed generation systems produce electricity close to where the energy is used, rather than at large, central power plants.

This joint development agreement builds upon a memorandum of understanding announced Sept. 23 at the Clinton Global Initiative's annual meeting at which time the companies pledged to work together to accelerate the development of low-carbon and clean energy technologies.

"China is investing heavily in clean energy and we can make greater progress in the U.S. by joining forces and working together," said Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers. "Duke Energy and ENN seek to not only accelerate the development of solar power in the U.S., but help achieve economies of scale and drive down the cost of renewable energy."

Duke Energy Generation Services (DEGS), a commercial business unit of Duke Energy, will team with ENN to develop, own and operate the solar projects.

The joint development agreement will expand DEGS' existing investments in renewable energy - including wind and biopower - and commercial transmission. DEGS owns and operates more than 630 megawatts (MW) of wind power projects in the U.S. and plans to add another 350 MW by the end of 2010. In the biopower market, DEGS is developing wood-waste-to-electricity power plants in the U.S. through ADAGE, the company it formed in 2008 with French-based AREVA.

Keith Trent, president and group executive of Duke Energy's Commercial Businesses, and Wouter van Kempen, president of DEGS, joined ENN Chairman Wang Yusuo and Vice Chairman and Chief Scientist Gan Zhongxue in Langfang for the signing of the agreement.