The Needles City Council and the Needles Public Utility Authority (NPUA) have unanimously approved and executed a twenty year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Renewable Energy Development Corporation (REDCO). Pursuant to the PPA, REDCO will develop and operate a 5-megawatt solar thermal power plant in Needles to provide the city with the power and the Renewable Energy Certificates.

REDCO will purchase the 5-megawatts of solar thermal equipment, including turbines, from International Automated Systems (IAUS) an innovative developer of solar technologies. REDCO has hired Ralph L. Wadsworth Company to serve as general contractor to construct the project. Petersen Inc. will handle IAUS's manufacturing and in-field assembly of IAUS's solar equipment for the Needles project.

Needles voted to move forward with the PPA in part to satisfy the California Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), a mandate that requires minimum 10% of all power procurements come from a renewable source by 2010. The California RPS begins at 10% and is set to increase 2.5% per year until 33% of all power produced in California comes from renewable sources.