The US Department of Interior has approved the Record of Decision (ROD) for the 110MW Crescent Dunes solar energy project located in Nye County near Tonopah, Nevada.
With this authorization, SolarReserve, a US based developer of utility-scale solar power projects, is preparing to begin construction of the plant in mid-2011.
The project will generate approximately 450 direct jobs and more than 4,000 indirect and induced jobs during construction, as well as 50 permanent operations and maintenance jobs for the region.
SolarReserve will utilize solar energy technology developed in the US by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation.
The power plant, which will use solar thermal ‘power tower’ technology, is expected to generate enough clean electricity to power approximately 75,000 Nevada households.
Last December, SolarReserve’s wholly owned subsidiary Tonopah Solar Energy and NV Energy signed a 25-year power purchase agreement for the sale of electricity from the solar project.