Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Energy Commission Licenses Big Solar Project In Kern


Earlier, we said that California could become a major player in the solar industry by placing projects on its vast expanses of desert and fallow farmland.

The California Energy Commission took a big step in that direction today when it blessed a large solar thermal power plant - the first in about two decades - near California City in Kern County, the New York Times reported. The license for the 250-megawatt Beacon Solar Energy Project was approved for more than 2,000 acres of former farmland.

The project was not without its critics. Water was an issue until developers agreed to pipe in recycled liquid. The developers are also without a power contract, but are currently negotiating a purchase agreement.

It could be the first of many projects to come.

The San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization is a nonprofit dedicated to improving our region's quality of life by increasing its production and use of clean and alternative energy. The SJVCEO works with cities and counties and public and private organizations to demonstrate the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy throughout the eight-county region of the San Joaquin Valley





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