Region's largest solar plant to be built in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico's governor says the Caribbean's largest solar plant will be built in the U.S. territory's western region.

Alejandro Garcia Padilla said Thursday that Oriana Energy will invest more than $160 million to build a plant capable of producing 100,000 megawatts of energy a year. He said the plant would start operating by year's end in the northwest coastal town of Isabela.

Garcia said the project would help lower electricity costs on an island where power bills are on average twice those of the U.S. mainland, in part because of its heavy dependence on petroleum.

Puerto Rico has other smaller solar plants already in operation.

Region's largest solar plant to be built in Puerto Rico