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Tonopah solar project gets Energy Department help
Renewable Energy

By CAITLIN MCGARRY
LAS VEGAS BUSINESS PRESS
Posted: May 20, 2011 | 2:14 a.m.

Development of a commercial solar power plant outside of Tonopah that is expected to create more than 600 construction jobs will be backed by a $737 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced Thursday.

The 110-megawatt Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project will create 4,000 direct and indirect jobs nationwide to "supply the facility with the pieces and parts it needs," said Kevin Smith, CEO of project developer SolarReserve.

The facility will have 50 employees on-site, and is expected to generate $40 million in tax revenues in its first decade of operation.

The Department of Energy's renewable energy loan guarantee program is providing the conditional guarantee. The program, which was part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, was on the chopping block for fiscal year 2011, but was rescued with a compromise that said projects will only be backed if they can get off the ground by Sept. 30.

NV Energy inked a 25-year purchase agreement with Los-Angeles based SolarReserve in 2009 to buy electricity from the plant, which is expected to break ground by mid-July or early August, Smith said.

According to numbers obtained by the Review-Journal last year, NV Energy has agreed to pay 13.5 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity generated by the Tonopah plant.

That number is more than triple the 4 cents per kilowatt hour that the utility company has paid for wholesale power, which largely comes from natural-gas generation, in recent years.

Crescent Dunes is expected to produce 500,000 megawatt hours annually. Secretary Chu said the facility will be able to power 32,000 homes during peak electricity hours.

Reid touted the project's technology and scope .

"I don't think people realize how big this project is," he said.

Crescent Dunes will use mirrors to focus the sun's rays on a 640-foot-tall solar tower. Molten salt will capture heat from the reflected sunlight, running through the tower into storage tanks. The facility's storage capability will enable utilities to tap solar power at night.

Smith said SolarReserve is lining up contractors and finalizing the project's loan documents before launching this summer.

Contact reporter Caitlin McGarry at cmcgarry@lvbusinesspress.com

source: http://www.lvrj.com/business/tonopah-solar-project-gets-energy-department-help-122295439.html

PlayersPlay wrote on Jun 7^th, 2011 at 3:23am:

Comments (6) | Add a comment Tonopah solar project gets Energy Department help Renewable Energy By CAITLIN MCGARRY LAS VEGAS BUSINESS PRESS Posted: May 20, 2011 | 2:14 a.m. Development of a commercial solar power plant outside of Tonopah that is expected to create more than 600 construction jobs will be backed by a $737 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced Thursday. The 110-megawatt Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project will create 4,000 direct and indirect jobs nationwide to "supply the facility with the pieces and parts it needs," said Kevin Smith, CEO of project developer SolarReserve. The facility will have 50 employees on-site, and is expected to generate $40 million in tax revenues in its first decade of operation. The Department of Energy's renewable energy loan guarantee program is providing the conditional guarantee. The program, which was part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, was on the chopping block for fiscal year 2011, but was rescued with a compromise that said projects will only be backed if they can get off the ground by Sept. 30. NV Energy inked a 25-year purchase agreement with Los-Angeles based SolarReserve in 2009 to buy electricity from the plant, which is expected to break ground by mid-July or early August, Smith said. According to numbers obtained by the Review-Journal last year, NV Energy has agreed to pay 13.5 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity generated by the Tonopah plant. That number is more than triple the 4 cents per kilowatt hour that the utility company has paid for wholesale power, which largely comes from natural-gas generation, in recent years. Crescent Dunes is expected to produce 500,000 megawatt hours annually. Secretary Chu said the facility will be able to power 32,000 homes during peak electricity hours. Reid touted the project's technology and scope . "I don't think people realize how big this project is," he said. Crescent Dunes will use mirrors to focus the sun's rays on a 640-foot-tall solar tower. Molten salt will capture heat from the reflected sunlight, running through the tower into storage tanks. The facility's storage capability will enable utilities to tap solar power at night. Smith said SolarReserve is lining up contractors and finalizing the project's loan documents before launching this summer. Contact reporter Caitlin McGarry at cmcgarry@lvbusinesspress.com source: http://www.lvrj.com/business/tonopah-solar-project-gets-energy-department-help-122295439.html

Now this bit:
The 110-megawatt Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project will create 4,000 direct and indirect jobs nationwide to "supply the facility with the pieces and parts it needs," said Kevin Smith, CEO of project developer SolarReserve.

is a straight out lie....

Either way you look at it, it will NOT 'create' 4000 jobs...Either the companies that will supply the parts already exist, in which case the jobs already exist, or new companies will be started and only last as long as the building project, in which case the jobs are only part time...

I really looking forward to these big commercial molten salt solar towers.  The ability to work throughout the day overcomes the biggest hurdle of solar power.

It also provides a much more stable power source allowing plenty of notice of when to fire up more poluting sources. You'd have a good 6 to 12 hours notice if the salt was cooling excesively.

gizmo_2655 wrote on Jun 8^th, 2011 at 9:43am:

Now this bit: The 110-megawatt Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project will create 4,000 direct and indirect jobs nationwide to "supply the facility with the pieces and parts it needs," said Kevin Smith, CEO of project developer SolarReserve. is a straight out lie.... Either way you look at it, it will NOT 'create' 4000 jobs...Either the companies that will supply the parts already exist, in which case the jobs already exist, or new companies will be started and only last as long as the building project, in which case the jobs are only part time...

Well, this is the good thing about this sort of plant.  Its produces its X MwH per day for the lifetime of the plant and only needs 50 people to run it.   A similar sized coal plant needs a lot more people to dig the coal, transport it, and run it in the plant.  

Its better for the economy overall if people arent tied up doing jobs that arent needed.   You're getting X MwH from 50 people. Absolute bargain.!

I mean, your sort of logic would have farmers throw away their broadarce tractors, and go back to employing peasants to hand till the soil.

Doctor Jolly wrote on Jun 8^th, 2011 at 9:51am:

gizmo_2655 wrote on Jun 8th, 2011 at 9:43am: Now this bit: The 110-megawatt Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project will create 4,000 direct and indirect jobs nationwide to "supply the facility with the pieces and parts it needs," said Kevin Smith, CEO of project developer SolarReserve. is a straight out lie.... Either way you look at it, it will NOT 'create' 4000 jobs...Either the companies that will supply the parts already exist, in which case the jobs already exist, or new companies will be started and only last as long as the building project, in which case the jobs are only part time... Well, this is the good thing about this sort of plant.  Its produces its X MwH per day for the lifetime of the plant and only needs 50 people to run it.   A similar sized coal plant needs a lot more people to dig the coal, transport it, and run it in the plant.   Its better for the economy overall if people arent tied up doing jobs that arent needed.   You're getting X MwH from 50 people. Absolute bargain.! I mean, your sort of logic would have farmers throw away their broadarce tractors, and go back to employing peasants to hand till the soil.

No, that's the point I'm making...the project will create 50 new jobs, after completion...more people will be employed during construction, but those will be existing jobs..

I'm tired of pollies and business people telling lies about things like that...

Doctor Jolly wrote on Jun 8^th, 2011 at 9:51am:

gizmo_2655 wrote on Jun 8th, 2011 at 9:43am: Now this bit: The 110-megawatt Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project will create 4,000 direct and indirect jobs nationwide to "supply the facility with the pieces and parts it needs," said Kevin Smith, CEO of project developer SolarReserve. is a straight out lie.... Either way you look at it, it will NOT 'create' 4000 jobs...Either the companies that will supply the parts already exist, in which case the jobs already exist, or new companies will be started and only last as long as the building project, in which case the jobs are only part time... Well, this is the good thing about this sort of plant.  Its produces its X MwH per day for the lifetime of the plant and only needs 50 people to run it.   A similar sized coal plant needs a lot more people to dig the coal, transport it, and run it in the plant.   Its better for the economy overall if people arent tied up doing jobs that arent needed.   You're getting X MwH from 50 people. Absolute bargain.! I mean, your sort of logic would have farmers throw away their broadarce tractors, and go back to employing peasants to hand till the soil.

you missed the point that the company is paying TRIPLE the wholesale price of gas-fired electricty. it is essentially subsidising it.

longweekend58 wrote on Jun 8^th, 2011 at 4:32pm:

Doctor Jolly wrote on Jun 8th, 2011 at 9:51am: gizmo_2655 wrote on Jun 8th, 2011 at 9:43am: Now this bit: The 110-megawatt Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project will create 4,000 direct and indirect jobs nationwide to "supply the facility with the pieces and parts it needs," said Kevin Smith, CEO of project developer SolarReserve. is a straight out lie.... Either way you look at it, it will NOT 'create' 4000 jobs...Either the companies that will supply the parts already exist, in which case the jobs already exist, or new companies will be started and only last as long as the building project, in which case the jobs are only part time... Well, this is the good thing about this sort of plant.  Its produces its X MwH per day for the lifetime of the plant and only needs 50 people to run it.   A similar sized coal plant needs a lot more people to dig the coal, transport it, and run it in the plant.   Its better for the economy overall if people arent tied up doing jobs that arent needed.   You're getting X MwH from 50 people. Absolute bargain.! I mean, your sort of logic would have farmers throw away their broadarce tractors, and go back to employing peasants to hand till the soil. you missed the point that the company is paying TRIPLE the wholesale price of gas-fired electricty. it is essentially subsidising it.

NO SHITE SHERLOCK!

...you're going to give us all a thorough dissertation on the world of subsidies versus the supposed free-market that Liberal punchers love crapping on about to waste everyones time are ya?!!?

THOUGHT NOT!  :D :D 8-)

bump