Article courtesy of The Las Cruces Bulletin
By Marvin Tessneer
Alternative energy companies are conducting research and development projects directed toward a solar-thermal power plant to be located a mile east of the border town of Santa Teresa in Dona Ana County. The eSolar power technology company is designing a 5-megawatt project in Lancaster, California, as a plant research project for NRG Energy.
“It’s a small version of what we’re going to build in Santa Teresa,” said David Knox of NRG Energy. “It’s a process that we go through before starting actual construction. And from that project we are gaining a lot of insight that will support the building and operation of our Santa Teresa project.”
NRG is planning on breaking ground for its solar-thermal power plant later this year. It plans to have the plant operational by 2011. The Dona Ana County Commission has already approved land-use and building permits for the site.Construction is expected to bring about 400 jobs during a 14- to 16-month period and create 20 permanent jobs when the plant is fully operational, NRG officials said. NRG is planning to build its plant on 450 acres using eSolar’s concentrated solar power (CSP) technology and will be the first commercial solar-thermal power plant in New Mexico.
The technology is made up of a field of flat mirrors, called heliostats, that direct and concentrate sunlight to thermal receivers mounted on towers about 180 feet high. The concentrated sunlight heats the water in the thermal receivers to produce steam that turns turbines to generate clean electrical power. The mirrors track the sun with a calibrated system that can follow and gather the sunlight throughout the day and achieves one of the highest power-to-land ratios in the industry.
NRG plans to develop a project that, at peak capacity, will produce 92-milowatts of electricity that could supply power to about 74,000 homes. The plant will be connected to an existing 115-kilovolt El Paso Electric Company transmission line, and the company has a 20-year power purchase agreement.
The plant also would bring a new tax base and economic benefits from purchases of goods and services during construction. NRG also expects the solar-thermal plant to use same amount of water that would be consumed in a residential development.
New Mexico elected officials are pleased with the solar plans. Governor Bill Richardson said of the NRG project, “With 300 days of sun every year, a highly skilled labor force and a friendly business environment, New Mexico is well-positioned to lead the nation in solar energy production. eSolar, NRG and El Paso Electric are helping us make New Mexico’s renewable energy a potential a reality.”
U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman said, “This plant is an excellent example of the kind of projects New Mexico and the rest of the nation need to further diversify America’s energy portfolio. I compliment El Paso Electric, NRG and eSolar for working to create green jobs in New Mexico that will help to responsibly meet our growing demand for electricity.”
