• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Plans for World's Largest Solar-Energy Facility Announced

Posted on: Friday, 12 August 2005, 18:00 CDT

Aug. 11--VICTORVILLE -- A day after President Bush signed an energy bill encouraging production of alternative energy, Southern California Edison announced plans for the world's largest solar energy facility near Victorville.

When complete, the 4,500-acre solar generating station will be capable of producing more electricity than all other U.S. solar projects combined, officials with Southern California Edison said Tuesday. The plant is designed to have an hourly output of 500 megawatts, making it the most powerful alternative energy source in the nation.

The plant is to be built and owned by Stirling Energy Systems of Phoenix, which will install 20,000 solar collection dishes, each 37 feet in diameter. Southern California Edison will purchase the electricity generated by the plant. Officials declined to say exactly where the solar field will be or just how much the facility will cost.

A deal between SCE and Stirling was reached when the nation's leading purchaser of renewable energy signed a 20-year commitment to buy all energy output by Stirling.

The deal marked the largest in solar energy's 20-year history and what an industry veteran classified as a major endorsement from large power companies of the renewable energy industry.

"At a time of rising fossil fuel costs and increased concern about greenhouse-gas emissions, the Stirling project would provide enough clean power to serve 278,000 homes for the entire year," SCE Chairman John Bryson said.

Stirling officials estimated that construction of the four-year project will provide 1,500 local jobs. Once the plant is fully operational, it will require between and 150 and 250 high-end jobs.

The deal also helps SCE to meet the state mandate that requires power companies to generate at least 20 percent of their total output of energy out of renewable sources by 2010.

Stirling Chief Executive Officer Bruce Osborn said in a telephone interview from Phoenix that the deal represents a new era for the company.

"We believe this is truly a breakthrough event for solar energy," said Osborn. "This new contract will also help residents and customers of SCE because it will provide favorable rate-pricing for them." Under the agreement, Stirling will build and operate the solar facility.

The construction of the plant will not require any state subsidy and it will take advantage of the new energy bill, signed Monday, that will allow for federal loan guarantees and lower cost financing.

Buck Johns, an Orange County businessman who developed the High Desert Power Project in Victorville, said the deal will spark more thinking about alternative sources of energy.

"The power purchase agreement makes sense when the price of oil is reaching an all time high," said Johns, president of Inland Energy. "The movement to pursue other types of energy sources makes sense for companies because your fuel, which are sun rays, is free and it allows you to produce the most at the same time of maximum consumption."

Construction for the project will begin in 2008 and it is expected to be completed by 2011. Both SCE and Stirling declined to reveal the price of their investments in this project.

SCE spokesman Steve Conroy said energy produced by the solar generating station will be mostly used to supply the power demands of the Los Angeles basin and other parts of Southern California.

Osborn said the Victor Valley was chosen for construction of the plant because of rich solar resources.

"It makes sense for us. The Victor Valley has many days with sun and it is close to the area we are going to be serving," Osborn said.

-----

To see more of the Daily Press, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.vvdailypress.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, Daily Press, Victorville, Calif.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

EIX,

Source: Daily Press - Victorville, California

More News in this Category