Blythe Solar Project Gets Support From The Energy Commission
A committee with the California Energy Commission has officially recommended that approval be given to the Blythe Solar Power Project so that it can move forward. Now, the public will have their chance to voice their opinions on the project before final approval or denial. The final decision will be made next month when the whole commission cast their votes under the supervision of a firm called Solar Millennium, LLC.
Solar Millennium also has hopes of getting a construction permit through the Bureau of Land Management, but company CEP, Josef Eichhammer said they expect to get the permit soon. “We plan to receive all construction permits this fall and to finalize the financing for our first project, representing approximately 484 megawatts of generating capacity, so that we can start construction by the end of this year,” he indicated.
If the Blythe project moves forward as planned, it would be the largest CSP facility in the world. The plant would contribute a significant amount of renewable energy to California’s portfolio. California state utilities are required to purchase one third of their power from renewable resources by 2020. The facility would also use much less water than other projects needing an estimated 90 percent less than older CSP designs.