The concentrated solar power facility, which will consist of four 250MW plants, will deliver enough electricity to power more than 300,000 homes annually and is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately two million tons per year.
The project, anticipated to generate approximately 2,500 jobs during the construction period and create more than 200 permanent jobs once it is fully operational, will also help California meet the goal of generating one third of the state’s power from renewable sources by 2020.
Having received the formal CEC approval, the company now expects to secure grant from the Federal Bureau of Land Management and loan from the US Department of Energy to begin the first phase of the project.
The company hopes to begin construction on the first two Blythe power plants, representing approximately 500MW of generating capacity by the end of the year.
Solar Millennium executive chairman Uwe Schmidt said that the company expects to be the leading force in California’s clean energy initiatives and Blythe facility will demonstrate how renewable energy can power California’s future, while creating jobs and stimulating local and state economies.
