Plans for southern California solar thermal project revised

February 16, 2010

The company currently attempting to build three new solar thermal power plants in Ivanpah, southeast California, has revised its proposals in a bid to counter opposition from conservationists.

Oakland-based BrightSource Energy, Inc., has submitted an alternative design with the California Energy Commission and the Bureau of Land Management.

The fresh design would “significantly minimize its potential environmental impacts”, the company insisted.

The total generating capacity of the project has been taken down from 440 megawatts (MW) to 392MW, with the number of solar towers reduced from seven overall to three across the three plants.

BrightSource said the project’s footprint would be reduced overall by 12%, with a 40,000 cut in the number of heliostats used.

Opposition groups have been concerned about the impact of the project on wildlife species such as the desert tortoise as well as rare plants.

The solar developers have claimed their new design would see a 15% drop in the number of expected tortoise relocations, and that by reducing the footprint of the third Ivanpah plant by 23%, it would avoid the area identified by environmental groups as posing the greatest concern.

Steve DeYoung, Vice President of Environmental Health and Safety for BrightSource Energy, said: “We’re constantly evaluating ways to minimize the environmental impact of our solar power plants, and the permitting process and its public comment period provided us with many thoughtful suggestions.

“Our technology has always led the industry in significantly reducing water use and minimizing impact on habitat and the land. With this proposed alternative design, we are further avoiding the habitat of rare plants and other species, and setting another great precedent for projects that follow.”

The Ivanpah project’s new design would still enable enough power to be generated to supply the equivalent of 140,000 homes and nearly double the amount of solar thermal power produced in the US at the moment, according to BrightSource.

Power from the three plants is being sold under separate contracts, with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) taking two thirds of the electricity, and Southern California Edison (SCE) the remaining third.

The Ivanpah project is in line for federal stimulus funding under the Recovery Act, and is currently scheduled to begin construction in the second half of 2010, if permits are granted.