Solar Power, the Economy and the Environment Win Again in California!
Posted November 14, 2011 in Curbing Pollution, Green Enterprise, Saving Wildlife and Wild Places, Solving Global Warming
On Thursday November 10, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) announced its approval of PG&E’s contract with Abengoa’s Mojave Solar Project in the California Desert. The Project will provide significant environmental benefits by contributing 250 MW to the state’s ambitious 33% Renewable Portfolio Standard and will also help the State meet its greenhouse gas objectives under Assembly Bill 32.
The project uses solar thermal technology- which can have lower production variability and produce more power at peak-consumption hours than some other renewable technologies. CPUC President Peevey noted in his remarks that, “The Mojave Solar project is highly viable and the solar thermal facility will enhance the resource diversity of PG&E’s energy portfolio.”
In addition, the Mojave Solar project also represents the type of utility scale solar project that NRDC encourages developers to pursue and the CPUC to approve by virtue of being built on lands with low natural resource values. The Project conforms very well to solar project siting criteria developed several years ago by numerous environmental organizations, including NRDC. It’s located on private land with very low ecological values and is in the vicinity of existing road access and other developments. The California Energy Commission’s September 8, 2010 Decision approving the Project agrees, concluding that “overall, the proposed project area is composed of degraded habitat, which is of marginal suitability for special-status species and does not support a diverse assemblage of native plants and wildlife.”
The project has the support of conservation groups working in California. It demonstrates that large-scale solar energy projects can be planned in a way that protects plants, wildlife and other desert resources – in other words it’s a great example of a project that’s smart from the start. The Project achieves the balance between meeting our clean energy needs and protecting our sensitive desert ecosystems – two critical goals for California and for the country.
Well considered siting has commercial benefits, too, since it makes the permitting process more straightforward and certain. CPUC President Peevey and Commissioner Ferron highlighted the benefits to Californians that good project siting and planning provide, Commissioner Ferron noted, “With this project we have very high viability. The technology is tried and true, the financing is all wrapped up with the U.S. Department of Energy Loan Guarantee, and we’re told that the hard hats are on and the bulldozers are ready to roll. Therefore, we can have high confidence that this project will get built.”
So while we were not privy to the confidential contract details including the price, NRDC applauds the Commission for moving forward with a well planned solar project and look forward to its contribution to California’s climate goals and clean energy economy.
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Comments
A. Chang — Nov 14 2011 02:04 PM
Air is 78% Nitrogen and about 21% Oxygen and at about 2900 F begins to form oxides of Nitrogen or Thermal NOx, a regulated emission and a precursor to smog and acid rain. The boiler at the top of a Solar power tower is described as a inside out boiler and attains skin temperatures in the neighborhood of 4000 F., yet this regulated emission is ignored.
N.R Yakiddin — Nov 14 2011 03:40 PM
Love, the closing paragraph, Beside the 1.25 billion dollar taxpayer backed loan guarantee, a 30% tax credit, Here 's what else we are privy to:
The 4-1 decision by the California Public Utilities Commission to green-light the power purchase agreement, or PPA, with Pacific Gas & Electric underscores the politics driving some renewable energy projects. It also raises questions about the economic viability of an older solar trough technology that the developer, Abengoa Solar, will deploy for the Mojave Solar Project in the Southern California desert.
“The PPA unnecessarily saddles ratepayers with extraordinary above-market costs – $1.25 billion,” said Commissioner Mike Florio, who voted against the contract at Thursday’s meeting. “We could probably get almost 500 megawatts of renewable energy for the price we’re paying for this 250 megawatts.”
N.R Yakiddin — Nov 14 2011 03:48 PM
" ...is in the vicinity of EXCITING electrical transmission lines..."
Common knowledge that NRDC reps are promoting expanding infrastructure, but that's getting ridiculous, don't ya think?
Chereen Elliott — Nov 14 2011 10:12 PM
I Like all the Positive Clean Green Confidence taking place around this Mojave Project.. It's all good..
Carl Zichella — Nov 15 2011 08:28 PM
Thanks for this exellent piece Noah. As NRDC's diirector of western transmission I think it is slao important to note that this project provides system reliability benefits to the grid in the form of stable peak power that will help integrate valuable but more variable photovoltaic power at all scales. We benefit by making sure we have technologies with differing generation characteristics. Trough technology has been significantly improved over the last 10 years and has an excellent track record. And because this project is not in the East Mojave where many of the other solar projects are located it contributes geographic diversity to the state's generation portfolio, again making renewable integration less problematical. In addition the transmission for this project will help open one of the best solar energy resources in North America (and therefore the world) in terms of solar energy quality. Good siting, system reliability benefits and geographical diversity all make this project a very valuable addition to the state's renewable energy portfolio.