U.S. Government Approves First Solar Projects Built on Public Lands
Energy Boom
In an historic move, Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interiorannounced the approval of the United States’ first large-scale solarprojects to be built on public land today.
Salazar’s approval grants Tessera Solar and Chevron Energy Solutions (NYSE: CVX) access to nearly 6,800 acres of land for 30 years for their solar plants.
Tessera Solar plans to construct the Imperial Valley Solar Project [pdf], in Imperial County, California. The project will place 28,360 solardishes across 6,360 acres. Tessera expects the power plant to produce709 megawatts of energy — enough to power between 212,700 and 531,750homes.
Much smaller in scale, Chevron Energy Solutions will build the 45-megawatt Chevron Lucerne Valley Solar Project [pdf] in San Bernardino County, California. Over 40,000 solar panels will be installed across 422 acres. Chevron Energy Solutions expects thisfacility to power between 13,500 and 33,750 homes. Both projects willcreate almost 1,000 jobs.
At the announcement today, Secretary Salazar said, "These projectsare milestones in our focused effort to rapidly and responsibly capture renewable energy resources on public lands. These projects advance the President’s agenda for stimulatinginvestment in cutting-edge technology, creating jobs for Americanworkers, and promoting clean energy for American homes, businesses andindustry."
Read the full story at the U.S. Department of the Interior: Salazar Green-Lights First-Ever Solar Energy Projects on Public Lands
Image credit: U.S. Department of the Interior
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Original Article on EnergyBoom
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