Dec 30 2010
The Obama administration has approved a large-scale solar facility in Nye County, situated 13 miles northwest of Tonopah. The ninth facility of its kind, the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project, will generate sufficient electricity for over 75,000 Nevada households. The U.S. Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar, has approved the energy project.
The 110-megawatt solar energy plant will provide around 500 jobs during the construction phase, and after completion will utilize 50 people to take care of the facility’s operations and management. This plant will be situated on 2,250 acres of land that is being administered by the Bureau of Land Management.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, says that utilizing the abundant solar, geothermal and wind energy resources to create jobs is the only way to ensure recovery of Nevada’s economy.
The Crescent Dunes project is eligible for loan guarantees from the U.S. Department of Energy, and it also qualifies for grants under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
This project proposed by the Tonopah Solar Energy will have sufficient storage capacity to meet demands of the hot summers, especially during the nights. Nevada’s largest electric utility, NV Energy has offered to purchase the generated power to connect to its power grid.
Source http://www.tonopahsolar.com/