California’s solar thermal plant gives way to endangered species

Nature concerns prompt BrightSource Energy to revamp solar thermal project that would be U.S.’ largest

The plant is scheduled to begin construction in the second
half of 2010. Photo from BrightSource Energy

Concerns about the endangerment of a desert tortoise and a number of rare plants have prompted BrightSource Energy Inc. to revamp its solar thermal project in California that would be the largest of its kind in the United States when completed.

The company plans to reduce the size of the 4,000-acre Ivanpah facility by 12 percent, cutting its electricity generation to from 440 megawatts to 392 MW.

The area covered by one of the facility’s three solar plants will also be shrunk by 23 percent to avoid a disturbing wildlife.

BrightSource submitted the revised plans to California’s Energy Commission and the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management. If approved, it would be the first solar thermal power plant built in California after about two decades and will still be the largest of its kind.

“This project is a key step in meeting our nation’s climate and clean energy goals, and proves that we
can address global warming with utility-scale solar while protecting sensitive desert lands and habitat,” said George Frampton, former chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

The plant is scheduled to begin construction in the second half of 2010. BrightSource said the project can produce enough clean energy to power 140,000 homes while cutting down emissions by more than 400,000 tons annually.

The plant will further lessen its desert water consumption by using an air-cooling system which requires 25 times less water than competing solar thermal technologies that use wet cooling.

Solar thermal technologies, or concentrating solar power, concentrate sunshine on collectors that, in turn, heat a liquid solution to create steam. Steam runs the electric generators.

The Department of Interior has prioritized the BrightSource project to receive Recovery Act funds. It has also been short-listed to receive a loan guarantee from the Department of Energy.

The project is expected to employ 1,000 jobs throughout its construction and provide 86 permanent jobs.

Approximately two-thirds of the power generated from Ivanpah will be sold to Pacific Gas and Electric, while Southern California Edison will purchase the rest.

Oregon-based BrightSource, which is backed by Google, Chevron and British Petroleum, has signed contracts to supply 2,600 MW of electricity to California utilities striving to meet a state mandate to obtain 33 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2020.

–   Oliver M. Bayani