Dec 9 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson
The Arizona Corporation Commission has approved the location of a
280-megawatt solar-power project near Gila Bend that is expected to produce
electricity for about 70,000 homes.
The ACC on Friday also granted the Arizona Public Service Company's Solana
project a certificate of environmental compatibility, which will allow
construction to begin on the project, and approved a transmission line to
the facility.
APS plans to buy Solana's energy output for 30 years. The solar plant, to be
built by Abengoa Solar Inc., will use sunlight to heat a salt solution to
run steam-power generators. Salt tanks will allow the facility to store
power for use during peak-demand hours.
The solar plant was originally scheduled to begin producing power by 2011,
though developers said last week that financing was not yet in place.
The power produced by Solana will help APS meet the Commission's Renewable
Energy Standard rules, which require public utilities to produce 15 percent
of their energy from renewable sources by 2025, with incremental annual
increases.
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