The Solana Generation Station is a proposed solar power plant that will be built to meet Arizona residents’ peak demand for solar energy. Phoenix solar experts state that the Solana project was on hold for several years because of the recession, but now it will finally be built. Originally planned to start operations in 2011 or 2012 the completion date was moved to 2013. The plant will be located near Gila Bend, Arizona, and will be built and operated by Abengoa Solar, a Spanish company with local offices in Denver, Colorado, and headquarters in Spain.
The power plant is ostensibly named the Solana Generating Station. Solana is a Spanish name for “sunny place” or “sunny spot,” and Phoenix solar officials state that Arizona is the perfect spot to build the plant because it is one of the hottest spots in the nation with nearly year round sunny skies and scorching summer temperatures. In other words, solar radiation is an abundant resource in the state and the plant will be taking advantage of this to generate lots of electricity.
Phoenix solar authorities point out that Solana Generation Station will not use the solar panels commonly used in residential buildings. Instead it will use concentrated solar power (CSP). CSP uses long curved mirrors that trap sun rays by means of a parabolic trough system. The Solana Generation Station will have a total capacity of 280 megawatts which can power 70,000 Arizona homes. This plant will eliminate about 475,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
When completed and fully operational, the Solana Generation Station will become Arizona’s biggest solar generating plant. It will have the following benefits for the state:
- State will pay less for energy imports and move closer to energy independence
- Could create over $300 million in tax revenues over a 30 year period
- Will create many short-term jobs and about 85 long-term tech jobs
- Will help Arizona meet goal of generating 15% of electricity using green sources by 2025
Arizona solar companies point out that this plant will be both environmentally and financially beneficial. The plant will not only be the biggest solar plant in the state, it will be one of the biggest CSP plants in the world.
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