Arizona Public Service and Starwood Energy Group Global last month announced plans for 290-megawatt concentrating solar plant in Arizona. Much of the West's prime private land for large solar farms has already been snapped up.
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Six western states named solar-energy hotbeds
By Laurent Belsie | 06.29.09
In a step sure to please clean-energy investors, the US Interior Department Monday said it would designate more than 1,000 square miles of federal land in the sunbaked West as zones for potential solar-energy production.
The move removes a bureaucratic roadblock within the Interior Department, which had been overwhelmed by applications to build utility-scale solar plants. By identifying 24 zones across six Western states with lots of sun and few environmental risks, the Obama administration is hoping to speed up development of such alternative-energy projects.
The move also helps open up federal land to new companies at a time when the rights to develop solar power on the best private land in the West already have been snapped up by big players, said Matthew Patsky, portfolio manager of Winslow Management Company, in a telephone interview. “There’s a lot of [private] land that is really well situated that has been aggregated and the rights to it have been accumulated over time.”
The three biggest players, he said, are investment-manager Goldman Sachs, the utility Florida Power & Light, and solar-energy manufacturer First Solar.
By offering government land at, presumably, rock bottom lease rates, the administration can offer development opportunities to other companies and push forward its clean-energy agenda. President Obama has said he wants to double production from renewable energy within three years.
The solar farms envisioned would probably use various technologies, Mr. Patsky said, from traditional photovoltaic panels that directly convert sunlight into electricity to concentrating solar power, which produces steam to power large turbines. The six states with new designated energy zones are Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.
Comments
2. anita | 06.29.09
Why still centralized plants? I can see it coming now - huge tracts of sensitive landscapes and fragile environments cut to pieces with powerlines and solar arrays. What is wrong with turning our existing roads into power generators, as well as have all newly built houses be carbon-0 with solar roofs and energy efficiency? Or what about making solar panels affordable for everyone? Money can only be spent once - let it be spent wisely and not just flow into the powers of greed who want to keep the status quo.
3. Wolfgang | 06.30.09
I totally agree with Lisa and Anita! Why centralize? We need to individualize solar, wind and passive. We are going at it backwards. Why not generate competition by offering incentives to manufacturers of family and office size units and get everyone off the grid in the next 20 years?
4. Solar Friend | 06.30.09
anita, Unfortunately, projects need to show financial justification. Centralized solar plants are just more cost effective at the moment. Residential solar still have many hurdles like transferring the ownership of the system. What if you just put in a $20,000 system and have to move the following year? Well, you just lost a lot of money because the value is not added to the price of your home. If you don’t believe me, just ask your realtor.
Making solar panels affordable? How? I’m looking for my magic wand but can’t find it.
Sensitive and fragile environments in the desert? That environment is going to be permanently harmed with solar panels? Are you serious? You can have picnics next to those plants. They are quiet and even provide a bit of shade for animals. If you did some research of other solar farms around the world you will see that the environment is not permanently changed.
So anita, do you use electricity? Any at all? If so, and you don’t want to pay multiple times what you are paying now then please help the world move to sustainable and renewable energy systems. They are much better than nuclear and fossil fuel infrastructure. Baby steps.
I also like decentralized power generation but we also have a massive amount of energy to generate. Putting solar in the roads? Well, you better start a company and figure out how that can be done because the technology does not currently exist. You can help out or just complain. We need solutions that work and satisfy business goals. fairy dust and magic wands are nice to have but are far from reality. Don’t worry, the snakes and spiders will be fine around the solar farms. They will probably even enjoy the shade. We are in an energy crisis right now. If we have no viable options we will continue to use what we know. Do you want that? Your choice, nuclear and coal or desert solar farms? Or, have your company invest in a better option. I look forward to reading about your workable solutions. Seriously, I want you to succeed in coming up with a solution that causes zero environmental impact. Good luck!
5. Kevin | 07.02.09
In regards to the concern of transfering ownership of a $20,000.00 system , we don’t uproot our 20k + kitchen cabinets when we sell a house , why worry about a solar system? Competion needs to thrive , individual power production at all levels to it’s greatest potential is our nation’s best hope of getting off our dependence on oil from our enemies, saving tax dollars on wars in oil countries, saving lives in wars, saving our and our world’s ecosystems, and finally for empowering individuals
to live and think with self determination and accountabilty. Lastly , I lived for a year successfully in a new home in Colorado off the grid powered by solar panels and a wind generator; it’s quite do-able .
6. Patrick reel | 07.02.09
Oil won’t last forever, but sun and wind power is here to stay. The only thing left is for us to harness and distribute the power generated from them at a feasible price. Once installed, it is the cleanest way to go. These power generators take up space, but so does mining coal and drilling for oil. But think of the clean air and clearer skies, and less dependence on our energy needs from foreigners. After all, we can’t expect to take our oil under their soil forever!
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1. Six western states named solar-energy hotbeds | csmonitor.com | solarenergyforhome.info | 06.30.09
5. Latest alternative energy solar power news - 78% Wind Energy Increase Solar Electric Power Association Reports | Solar Power Labs | 07.15.09
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1. Lisa | 06.29.09
Why are government lands going for rock bottom prices. Let’s minus some of the deficit.