The total capacity of the planned solar power plants at this location is approximately equal to the turbine output of a nuclear power plant or a big modern coal fired power plant. Solar Millennium intends to begin the initial construction on two of four plants overall in 2010. The conclusion of the approval process is expected to come in October with the decision by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
“Once the first two plants are connected to the grid in 2013 and 2014, we will have implemented the Desertec idea in California. With solar power plants in the California desert, we will be able to supply Los Angeles and other metropolitan cities on the American west coast with environmentally friendly electricityâ€, said Thomas Mayer, Spokesman of the Executive Board of Solar Millennium AG: ”
The financing for the first two solar power plants is also scheduled to come to a close in autumn, which will include loan guarantees and grants by the US government. The investment volumes of more than one billion USD per plant make this one of the largest infrastructure projects in the US at the moment,” Mayer further explains.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger: “I applaud the California Energy Commission’s decision to approve the construction of the Blythe Solar Power Project and am excited to see other solar projects move forward. Projects like this need our immediate attention, as solar and renewable power are the future of the California economy.â€
I truly believe the current administration should focus on improving the energy grid. By harvesting the solar energy of the sunniest states, we’d vastly reduce our dependence on hostile foreign providers.