Last week I wrote an article concerning Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) signing a contract to buy the power from a new 150Mw wind power facility. This week an announcement is made they have agreed to purchase the power from a new solar thermal energy plant to be built in San Luis Obispo county.
The new plant will have 177Mw of capacity to be built and run by Ausra using Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector technology. The plant will start generating power in 2010. Beth McKenna recently posted on this site on the excellent prospects of solar thermal power. Ausra’s new plant will require only one square mile of land. PG&E and Ausra have separately announced commitments of buying a building 1,000 Mw of solar thermal power over the next 5 years. PG&E already has 553Mw of solar thermal under contract pending construction.
PG&E currently generates 12% of its electrical power from qualifing renewable resouces under California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard. Their goal is 20% by 2010. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had this to say about the new contract between the two companies:
“Today’s agreement between PG&E and Ausra highlights how clean energy will create jobs in California while delivering a reliable source of renewable energy. I’m pleased to see California companies rising to the challenge of AB 32, California’s historic initiative to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change. Clearly, California continues to lead the nation in clean energy research, development and generation.”
It appears PG&E is definitely on the right track in renewable energy.
