Public lands and renewable energy: 25 projects and counting

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The Interior Department has approved two large-scale renewable energy projects, capping off a three-year campaign to use public lands for solar, wind, geothermal and biomass power plants. When built, these two projects — a solar installation in Arizona and a wind farm in California — will generate nearly 500 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 150,000 homes, the DOI said today in a statement and during a media call.

Since launching its “fast-track” approval effort, the Interior Department has OK’d 25 major renewable energy projects for public lands. When constructed the projects are expected to produce nearly 6,200 megawatts of energy, enough to power 2.2 million U.S. homes, the DOI said.

The DOI approval is just one of many permits and other regulations power plant developers must meet before their projects can be built. Not to mention considerable other hurdles including financing and finding that increasingly elusive transmission capacity. In other words, a DOI thumbs up doesn’t mean the project will ever be built. For instance, the DOI approved last year the Tessera Solar’s Imperial Valley Solar Project. The solar project was supposed to have large Suncatcher dished lined with high-efficiency mirrors to track the sun’s movement.

The project was sold to AES Solar in Febraury 2011 and its new owners decided to switch to photovoltaic solar. Now it’s not clear if the project will ever be built because San Diego Gas & Electric has terminated its power purchase agreement with AES.

Some details on the two recently approved renewable energy projects:

Sonoran Solar Energy Project

• 300-megawatt photovoltaic solar project;
• Built in Maricopa County, Arizona, south of Phoenix.
• Generate enough electricity to power 90,000 homes (although earlier records state the figure is 59,000 homes);
• Developed by a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources;
• Expected to create more than 374 construction and maintenance jobs;
• NextEra originally proposed this as a concentrated solar thermal plant that would have generated 375 megawatts of electricity, but was changed to PV over concerns about the amount of water use, changes in technology and cost.

Tule Wind Project

• 186-megawatt wind project located east of San Diego;
• Developed and owned by Spain’s Iberdrola Renewables;
• Produce enough electricity to power up to 65,000 homes;
• Will be built on 12,360 acres of public lands. Other portions of the project have been proposed on Ewiiaapaayp Trival, state of California and private lands.
• Expected to create 337 jobs.

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/intelligent-energy/public-lands-and-renewable-energy-25-projects-and-counting/11500

[slim 1,530]

Since this is being built on public lands it'll mean free energy for taxpayers, right?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Since this is being built on public lands it'll mean free energy for taxpayers, right?

Does that work for coal, oil and natural gas extracted from public lands? You sound a lot like Hugo Chavez.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

"public lands."

The Feds need to sell their land back to the people!

[lostinblue 1,989]

12,360 acres of public lands。。。。。 65,000 homes So if you had a million homes you use what half the state to power one city. You cannot ride a 4 wheeler on public lands these days and now it is fine to ruin the environment with solar cells

[one...two...tree 2,762]

"public lands."

The Feds need to sell their land back to the people!

Sell it back to whom? The original owners? Who would that be? Who owns the oceans? The Great Lakes? More Libertarian fanbois fantasy thinking.

[slim 1,530]

Sell it back to whom? The original owners? Who would that be? Who owns the oceans? The Great Lakes? More Libertarian fanbois fantasy thinking.

Why is the federal government in the business of owning land?

[luckytxn 2,265]

Big misuse of public land. And we pay for bad technology to boot. Good job Obama the Socialist.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Why is the federal government in the business of owning land?

Ah, we're getting down into the heart of Libertarian ideology - private ownership as being the absolute measure of value. Imagine in the not-so-distant future, we humans are able to populate other planets and we find one that has a suitable habitat. So tell me, who owns and that planet and if nobody owns it, how does one claim legitimate ownership?

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Goooo Solar!!!

I'm in Mass visiting my family and I saw this on the news tonight. It's one town over.

WMECo Celebrates Completion of Largest Solar Facility in New England

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., December 21, 2011 – Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECo) today celebrates completion of its second large-scale solar energy facility in the Indian Orchard section of Springfield. The facility features 8,200 solar panels and produces 2.3 megawatts (MW) of electricity.

WMECo officials joined local and state officials in celebrating the transformation of the former foundry site into a clean, renewable energy facility. The Indian Orchard facility joins WMECo’s Silver Lake Solar facility in Pittsfield as one of the largest in the Northeast region and is the largest in New England.

“WMECo continues to demonstrate that large-scale solar can be developed and delivered in a cost-effective manner for our customers,” said Peter J. Clarke WMECo president and chief operating officer. “These projects represent significant progress toward meeting the Commonwealth’s renewable energy goals and diversifying the region’s energy supply with non-carbon-emitting fossil fuels,” Clarke said.

“I’m very pleased to be here with Peter Clarke and other WMECo officials today to make this great announcement,” stated Mayor Domenic J. Sarno. “This continues to build on my Administration’s vision for green economic development. Seven months ago we were standing on a remediated brownfield site. Today, this site is now a tax-generating property and is home to the largest renewable energy facility in New England. I appreciate WMECo’s continued collaboration with the City of Springfield,” added Mayor Sarno.

The project brought nearly $12M of new construction to the region and is will contribute $400,000 of annual property tax revenue to the City of Springfield. Springfield is one of the two Gateway Communities in WMECo’s service territory and is home to approximately 65,000 WMECo customers.

“Investments in renewable energy cut long-term energy costs, create local jobs and bring us closer to meeting our statewide clean energy goals,” said Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr. “We have 67 megawatts of solar energy installed statewide—equal to the amount of electricity used by 10,600 households annually—and this project builds on this accomplishment by keeping this economic opportunity here in the Commonwealth.”

The Commonwealth has a goal to install 250 MW of solar generation by 2017. Under the landmark Green Communities Act (GCA), each Massachusetts electric utility may own up to 50 MW of solar, subject to approval by the Department of Public Utilities (DPU).