This is from September, but it's still relevent and obviously needed on this forum, for those who still think solar power is a pipe dream that will never happen.
It IS happening.
The 8 Most Exciting Solar Projects in the U.S. [Updated]
Sunlight is the world's most plentiful resource. That is, of course, why the United States has scrambled in recent years to supplant dirty, nonrenewable energy sources with ambitious solar projects. Below, we look at some of the most exciting solar projects--both existing and planned--in the country.
1. Solar Energy Generating Systems
Located in California's Mojave desert, the Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS) plant is the largest active solar energy facility in the world. The Luz International-designed solar thermal plant has an installed capacity of 354 MW, features 936,384 parabolic mirrors and spans more than 1,600 acres. In total, SEGS provides power for 232,500 homes. The nine solar plants at the site were built between 1984 and 1990.
2. Nevada Solar One
This Boulder City, Nevada plant, completed in 2007, is the largest solar thermal plant to be built since 1991. The $266 million concentrated solar plant has a maximum capacity of 75 MW, and produces 134 million kilowatt hours of power each year. Components for the plant come from a variety of suppliers, including Siemens, Flabeg AG, Schott Solar, and Solel Solar Systems.
3. Solana Generating Station
This Gila Bend, Arizona plant will have a capacity of 280 MW--enough to power 70,000 homes--when it is completed in 2013. Arizona Public Service has already contracted to buy all of the produced power from Solana's $2 billion concentrated solar plant. The Abengoa-manufactured plant is expected to create 1,500 construction jobs and 85 full-time positions.
*snip*
7. Blythe Solar Power Project
If built, this proposed $6 billion solar thermal project in Blythe, California will produce a whopping 1000 MW of power, making it the largest solar power plant in the world. That's a big "if," though--Solar Millennium and Chevron Energy Solutions have yet to get the project approved by the California Public Utilities Commission. Update: The project was approved by the CPUC this week. The next step is to get final approval from the Bureau of Land Management.
It IS happening.
The 8 Most Exciting Solar Projects in the U.S. [Updated]
Sunlight is the world's most plentiful resource. That is, of course, why the United States has scrambled in recent years to supplant dirty, nonrenewable energy sources with ambitious solar projects. Below, we look at some of the most exciting solar projects--both existing and planned--in the country.
1. Solar Energy Generating Systems
Located in California's Mojave desert, the Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS) plant is the largest active solar energy facility in the world. The Luz International-designed solar thermal plant has an installed capacity of 354 MW, features 936,384 parabolic mirrors and spans more than 1,600 acres. In total, SEGS provides power for 232,500 homes. The nine solar plants at the site were built between 1984 and 1990.
2. Nevada Solar One
This Boulder City, Nevada plant, completed in 2007, is the largest solar thermal plant to be built since 1991. The $266 million concentrated solar plant has a maximum capacity of 75 MW, and produces 134 million kilowatt hours of power each year. Components for the plant come from a variety of suppliers, including Siemens, Flabeg AG, Schott Solar, and Solel Solar Systems.
3. Solana Generating Station
This Gila Bend, Arizona plant will have a capacity of 280 MW--enough to power 70,000 homes--when it is completed in 2013. Arizona Public Service has already contracted to buy all of the produced power from Solana's $2 billion concentrated solar plant. The Abengoa-manufactured plant is expected to create 1,500 construction jobs and 85 full-time positions.
*snip*
7. Blythe Solar Power Project
If built, this proposed $6 billion solar thermal project in Blythe, California will produce a whopping 1000 MW of power, making it the largest solar power plant in the world. That's a big "if," though--Solar Millennium and Chevron Energy Solutions have yet to get the project approved by the California Public Utilities Commission. Update: The project was approved by the CPUC this week. The next step is to get final approval from the Bureau of Land Management.
