FW: Massive Solar Tower Plant Greenlighted for Arizona

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11/26/2012 02:42 PM      ShareThis
Massive Solar Tower Plant Greenlighted for Arizona

SustainableBusiness.com News


SolarReserve now has the green light to begin construction of its
biggest concentrating solar project (CSP) yet, a 150 megawatt (MW)
project in Arizona.

The Board of Supervisors of Maricopa County, Arizona unanimously approved
the permits for the Crossroads Solar Energy Project, which also includes 65
MW of solar PV. 

The project will create more than 450 solar jobs during the two years
of construction and about 5000 direct and indirect jobs that affect the
supply chain and supporting activities.

Located on privately owned and actively cultivated land, the solar plant
will supply peak electricity to 100,000 homes in Arizona and California. 



It's bigger than SolarReserve's flagship project, the 110 MW Crescent Dunes
Solar Energy Project in Nevada that's under construction. Both plants
are based around a solar tower that enables energy storage.

Cresent Dunes is the biggest solar tower project in the
world. The 540-foot tall solar tower is finished and the full project comes
online in 2013. That project has spurred sales in  equipment, materials and
services across 20 states in the US.

SolarReserve's molten salt power tower technology allows 10 hours of solar
energy to be stored each day and released on demand, even after darkness.
That allows concentrating solar to completely replace conventional power
plants, such as coal , natural gas or nuclear.

Construction on Crossroads will begin late next year or in early 2014, with
projected commercial operation in 2016.

Founded in 2007, Santa Monica, California-based SolarReserve develops
large-scale concentrating solar projects and has a 4000 MW development
portfolio, mostly in the US and Europe. It recently started construction on
two 75 MW concentrating PV projects in South Africa, in one of the largest
renewable energy transactions in that country.

Learn more about the Crossroads project:

Website: http:
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