Solar Boom in California

A flurry of solar development is happening in the sunny California desert, spurred by state renewable energy requirements and federal stimulus funds. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, California utilities need to purchase at least 20% of their power from renewable sources by the end of the year. This goal probably won’t be met, the newspaper stated, but developers are eager to move forward with solar projects, which are finally being approved after years of delay. Projects that get all their permits and are under construction by the end of the year will also have 30% of their construction costs covered by a federal grant, according to the article. The Beacon Solar Energy Project was the first of several solar plants to be approved last week by the California Energy Commission. The Beacon plant is planned to be located in former alfalfa fields near the Mojave Desert, and will convert solar energy into steam, powering turbines and generating electricity. However, the Beacon plant still needs to attract customers to buy its power before construction can begin.

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