SolarReserve has secured a Record of Decision (ROD) from the US Department of Interior (USDI), approving the 110MW Crescent Dunes solar energy project located in Nye County near Tonopah, Nevada.
The approval will enable SolarReserve to start preparing for beginning construction on the plant in mid-2011, with some long-lead equipment already in manufacturing, thereby creating jobs, stimulating local economies and spurring a sustainable energy industrial base.
The project will utilize advanced solar energy technology developed by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of United Technologies to capture and store enough thermal energy each morning to provide electricity at full power all afternoon and for up to eight hours after sunset.
SolarReserve has entered into a 25-year power purchase agreement with NV Energy for the sale of electricity from the solar energy project, which is expected to produce enough power for 75,000 Nevada households.
The project, which is forecasted to generate $40m in sales and property tax revenues over the project’s operating period, will create about 450 direct jobs and more than 4,000 indirect and induced jobs during construction and 50 permanent operations and maintenance jobs for the region.