Nye County unanimously approves two, 232-megawatt, solar thermal power plants

[bananas]

http://www.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2010/Jun-04-Fri-2010/news/36229679.html

Jun. 04, 2010
SOLAR MILLENIUM
Development agreement for project OK'd
By MARK WAITE

TONOPAH -- A development agreement with Solar Millenium for the construction of two, 232-megawatt, solar power plants in Amargosa Valley was approved unanimously by the Nye County Commission Tuesday.

The enthusiastic endorsement by members of the Pahrump business community trumped the objections of Amargosa Valley activist John Bosta, who said the approval was premature. Bosta said the U.S. Bureau of Land Management completed a draft environmental impact statement and is in the process of preparing the final EIS.

Attorney Mark Fiorentino, representing Solar Millenium, said the project will provide clean, renewable energy for more than 150,000 Nevada homes. Solar Millenium will provide employment for up to 1,300 construction workers followed by 180 full-time operating workers, he said.

<snip>

"It's going to start a momentum for renewable energy and with the situation that's going on in the Gulf region with the oil spill, I think this is the open door for us to grab renewable energy and be part of that growth," Rodriguez said.

<snop>

Jim Mutton, adjunct instructor at Great Basin College, said Solar Millenium is only the first of other solar energy projects in the works.

"It appears Solar Millenium is working as a partner to the community to minimize any impacts this would have. They also partnered with the college, Great Basin College, to provide any training and curricula we will need with the project," Mutton said.

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[Systematic Chaos]

1. It's DEFINITELY worth reading the whole article.

That way you can see how issues of water use are being given little more than lip service. Then, you can see how the podunk Pahrump fucks are getting utterly screwed compared to another development site in California. I was a Pahrump resident for three years, and it seems to me that the average resident there couldn't count his/her balls/tits 10 times in a row and get the same number twice. This will be a fun one to watch.

[izquierdista]

2. Why would they need water?

Their major industry, meth cooking, can get along without it.

[Systematic Chaos]

3. Desert + Solar + Massive Dust Buildup on the Panels + Random Bird Poop =

Does that help?

It's a discussion which has already taken place in this forum some time back. It was good times for those of us with basic common sense. :)

[Name removed]

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[OnlinePoker]

6. How much water would be used in one of these plants?

They mention stockpiling water but don't give the source. I think the idea of utilizing a scarce desert resource like water to run a solar plant goes against the very idea of conservation and environmentalism.

[bananas]

7. Only PV and wind don't need water.

Any thermal plant - coal, nuclear, gas - needs water.
Nuclear needs significantly more water than coal, which uses significantly more than gas.
These solar thermal plants will use dry-cooling to significantly reduce the water needed.
I would tell you to look up the specifics on your own, but I've found that so many get their information wrong, I'm not going to do that.

[OnlinePoker]

8. I actually tried going on the company website but could get no specifics.

I'm assuming (perhaps wrongly) that each companies system would be different and you couldn't compare one type of plant with the other. I don't know where the technology stands vis-a-vis water usage (has it improved or stayed the same since earlier prototypes which used a tone of water).

[bananas]

10. Try the county website.

Yes the technology has advanced, and will continue to advance.
Each project will have different specifics.

[OnlinePoker]

11. Okay...found this link to a story in the Pahrump Valley Times that gives environmental impact

http://www.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2010/Mar-26-Fri-2010/news/35009235.html

They have access to 3 wells with annual output of 1300 acre-feet (one af is 325,831 gallons so total of 423.6 million gallons) but only expect to use one of them with a capacity of 600af(195 million gallons) annually.

[bananas]

9. Solar thermal is one of the key technologies needed to stop global warming

See "The full solution to global warming": http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x191961
and "Concentrated solar thermal power — a core climate solution" http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/14/concentrated-solar-thermal-power-a-core-climate-solution/

[depakid]

12. Interesting article- I'd like to see more solar thermal development in Oz

but there are similar barriers- water and unfortunately, cheap and plentiful coal to contend with.