Rio Mesa Solar Electric Generating Facility
| Rio Mesa Solar Electric Generating Facility | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Country | United States |
| Location | near Blythe, Riverside Co. |
| Coordinates | 33°27′30″N 114°46′30″W / 33.45833°N 114.77500°WCoordinates: 33°27′30″N 114°46′30″W / 33.45833°N 114.77500°W |
| Status | Proposed |
| Construction began | planned for 2013; now suspended |
| Commission date | planned for 2016; now suspended |
| Construction cost | $2 billion |
| Developer(s) | BrightSource Energy Bechtel |
| Solar farm information | |
| Type | CSP |
| CSP technology | Solar power tower |
| Land area | 4,070 acres (16.5 km2) |
| Power generation information | |
| Maximum capacity | 500 MW |
| Website www.brightsourceenergy.com/rio-mesa | |
| As of October 2012 | |
The Rio Mesa Solar Electric Generating Facility is a proposed 500 megawatts (670,000 hp) solar thermal power project in Riverside County, California. The developers for the project are subsidiaries of BrightSource Energy, Inc.[1] The plant is expected to cost about $2 billion.[2]
The plant comprises two solar power towers, each with a generating capacity of 250 megawatts (340,000 hp). About 170,000 heliostats reflect sunlight to the receivers mounted on top of the 750-foot (230 m) towers.[2] The project was scaled down from 750 megawatts (1,010,000 hp) to 500 MW in May 2012, for which it has a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Southern California Edison (SCE).[3]
In December 2011, the California Energy Commission (CEC) accepted the application for certification for the Rio Mesa SEGF. In October 2012, Rio Mesa received preliminary approval from the CEC; final approval is needed by June 2013 to fulfill its PPA.[4] However, the discovery of a large deposit of Pleistocene fossils underlying part of the project's area may delay approval or construction.[5] In January 2013, BrightSource suspended the Rio Mesa project.[6]
References [edit]
- ^ "CEC begins review for Rio Mesa". Power Engineering. 15 December 2011.
- ^ a b "BrightSource Calif. Rio Mesa solar plant passes state test". Reuters. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
- ^ Danelski, David (11 May 2012). "Company scales back solar project". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
- ^ K. Kaufmann (2 October 2012). "Rio Mesa solar project moves forward". The Desert Sun. Retrieved 5 October 2012.[dead link]
- ^ Clarke, Chris (10 September 2012). "Mammoth Fossils Found at Rio Mesa Solar Site". ReWire. KCET. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
- ^ Nichola Groom (03 April 2013). "BrightSource shelves second major solar project this year". Reuters. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
External links [edit]
- BrightSource official website
- "Rio Mesa Solar Electric Generating Facility Licensing Case". California Energy Commission (CEC). Retrieved 5 October 2012.
