...it is the seat of Clark County, the second fastest growing county in the United States. Nevada's two public utilities project that the state will hit an electricity capacity shortfall of 2,100 megawatts by 2016 if more isn't built.

The vision of a future powered by fossil fuels in one of the sunniest spots in the world strikes many people, including Harry Reid---majority leader of the U.S. Senate and a strong opponent of coal-fired plants--as ludicrous. Which is why Nevada has emerged not only as the biggest battleground over coal but the newest test bed for utility-scale solar thermal electricity. Its advocates believe it can and should become a large piece, along with other renewable-energy sources, of our energy future.

Solar thermal technology, also called concentrating (or concentrated) solar power (CSP), uses huge arrays of mirrors to focus sunlight and make steam to run a conventional turbine generator. The photovoltaic solar power systems used mostly on rooftops, in contrast, allow the energy of solar photons to create an electron flow using semiconductors. CSP provides "peak" power to feed the midday hunger for air conditioning and other loads, but with the addition of thermal storage CSP energy can also be banked for later use long past sundown. This could overcome one of the major obstacles to deploying solar power on a large scale.

Desert Opportunities

Almost as surreal as flying into Las Vegas at night is driving southeast from the sprawling city in the blazing sunlight of a typical day. As Highway 95 veers south about 50 kilometers from town, the tract-home developments have disappeared in the rearview mirror to be replaced by the sagebrush-dotted desert, and a silver-blue mirage appears shimmering in the distance. Apart from the transmission lines it is the only noticeable break in the El Dorado Valley's sepia tones. As you approach the glistening structure its body becomes more apparent--thousands of curved mirrors gazing up in unison.

Welcome to Nevada Solar One, a concentrating solar power station with 64 megawatts of generating capacity, enough to power as many as 14,000 homes. Reducing the plant to numbers--182,400 mirrors, 120 hectares, 1.2 million liters of heat transfer oil, over 3 million kilograms of recycled aluminum, 130,000 tons of avoided carbon dioxide per year, etc.--does not capture the magnificence of this technological feat. Although it is barely a tenth the size of a modern coal station, Nevada Solar One is a milestone as the first commercial CSP plant to be built in the United States in 17 years. It is a watershed moment for large-scale solar thermal energy, which had languished since Luz International, the original designer and builder of nine CSP units (total capacity: 354 megawatts) in California's Mojave Desert, went bankrupt in 1991 after struggling through years of inconsistency in state and federal subsidies and tax credits and finally their termination.

Now, thanks to a perfect storm of forces--growing public concern about coal's impact on...

NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.




More articles from World Watch
All wet.(MATTERS OF SCALE)(consumption of embodied water)(Table)(Brief..., March 01, 2008

Looking for additional articles?
Search our database of over 3 million articles.

Looking for more in-depth information on this industry?
Search our complete database of Industry & Market reports by text, subject, publication name or publication date.

About Goliath
Whether you're looking for sales prospects, competitive information, company analysis or best practices in managing your organization, Goliath can help you meet your business needs.

Our extensive business information databases empower business professionals with both the breadth and depth of credible, authoritative information they need to support their business goals. Whether it be strategic planning, sales prospecting, company research or defining management best practices - Goliath is your leading source for accurate information.