The Wait is Over: U.S. Government Approves First Solar Projects Built on Public Lands
In an historic move, Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior announced the approval of the United States' first large-scale solar projects to be built on public land today.
Salazar's approval grants Tessera Solar and Chevron Energy Solutions (NYSE: CVX) access to nearly 6,800 acres of land for 30 years for their solar plants.
Tessera Solar plans to construct the Imperial Valley Solar Project [pdf], in Imperial County, California. The project will place 28,360 solar dishes across 6,360 acres. Tessera expects the power plant to produce 709 megawatts of energy -- enough to power between 212,700 and 531,750 homes.
Much smaller in scale, Chevron Energy Solutions will build the 45-megawatt Chevron Lucerne Valley Solar Project [pdf] in San Bernardino County, California. Over 40,000 solar panels will be installed across 422 acres. Chevron Energy Solutions expects this facility to power between 13,500 and 33,750 homes. Both projects will create almost 1,000 jobs.
At the announcement today, Secretary Salazar said, "These projects are milestones in our focused effort to rapidly and responsibly capture renewable energy resources on public lands. These projects advance the President's agenda for stimulating investment in cutting-edge technology, creating jobs for American workers, and promoting clean energy for American homes, businesses and industry."
Read the full story at the U.S. Department of the Interior: Salazar Green-Lights First-Ever Solar Energy Projects on Public Lands
Image credit: U.S. Department of the Interior
Learn more about solar power on eBoom's Solar Energy Learning page.
Nathanael Baker is the Managing Editor of EnergyBoom. He has researched and reported on the issues of renewable energy, sustainability, and climate change for over two years. He has provided research to the New York Times and The Economist, as well as being published on different media outlets including, The Energy Collective.
Energy Boom content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be advice regarding the investment merits of, or a recommendation regarding the purchase or sale of, any security identified on, or linked through, this site.
