EPA approves new hybrid gas, solar power plant project in California
November 18, 2011
The Environmental Protection Agency has approved a new project in Palmdale,
California, looking to combine gas-fired generation with solar power,
according to Reuters.
While solar power has grown increasingly popular across the U.S. in recent
years, it remains a minuscule portion of the country's total power
generation capacity, in part because of difficulty in scaling and because of
cost. Natural gas power generation, though still smaller than coal in the
U.S., has been the fastest growing segment of the market because of low
costs, lower pollution levels and easy scaling.
The $950 million Palmdale Hybrid Power Plant project looks to reduce both
the costs of solar and the emissions of natural gas-fired generation by
producing some of the steam used to power the plant's turbine through the
use of solar thermal energy, focusing sunlight with parabolic mirrors. At
its peak the solar system could contribute as much as 10 percent of the
plant's 50 megawatt capacity, while the presence of natural gas-fired
generation will remove concerns about intermittent power.
The 377-acre power plant site is part of an approximately 600-acre
city-owned property that is bounded by Sierra Highway to the west, Columbia
Way to the north, and U.S. Air Force Plant 42 on the south and east.
Commercial operation of the project is planned for the summer of 2013.
This summer at POWER-GEN Europe 2011, General Electric (NYSE:GE) introduced
plans for the world's first Integrated Renewables Combined Cycle Power Plant
to be located in Karaman, Turkey. The even larger 530-megawatt hybrid
project will seamlessly integrate natural gas, wind and solar thermal power
and is scheduled to enter commercial operation in 2015.
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