The 150MW solar energy project will be located 30 miles northwest of the city of Blythe in eastern Riverside County, California. When completed, the facility will supply approximately 450,000MWh of renewable electricity annually.
The project will utilize a molten salt system from United Technologies. SolarReserve holds exclusive worldwide license for this technology, which features energy storage inherent in the design that can provide electricity during peak demand periods.
Kevin Smith, CEO of SolarReserve, said: “We are extremely pleased to contract with PG&E for the power generated from this important project. Throughout the process, we have worked hard to minimize the project’s impact on local resources, which is why the project is being developed on privately-owned land that had been previously used as an air field.
“Further, the project will use a dry cooling system that minimizes water usage without significantly impacting the plant’s operational performance. We look forward to working with state and federal regulators in the permitting process to help bring this important project to reality for Californians.”
Subject to environmental review by state and federal agencies, the Rice project could start as early as spring of 2011.
