Rio Mesa Solar Electric Generating Facility

Rio Mesa Solar Electric Generating Facility
location of Rio Mesa SEGF
Country United States
Location near Blythe, Riverside Co.
Coordinates 33°27′30″N 114°46′30″W / 33.45833°N 114.77500°W / 33.45833; -114.77500Coordinates: 33°27′30″N 114°46′30″W / 33.45833°N 114.77500°W / 33.45833; -114.77500
Status Proposed
Construction began planned for 2013; cancelled
Commission date planned for 2016; cancelled
Construction cost $2 billion
Solar field
Type CSP
CSP technology Solar power tower
Site area 4,070 acres (16.5 km2)
Power generation
Nameplate capacity 500 MW

The Rio Mesa Solar Electric Generating Facility was a proposed 500 megawatts (670,000 hp) solar thermal power project in Riverside County, California. The developers for the project were subsidiaries of BrightSource Energy, Inc.[1] The plant was expected to cost about $2 billion.[2]

The plant was to comprise two solar power towers, each with a generating capacity of 250 megawatts (340,000 hp). About 170,000 heliostats would have reflected sunlight to the receivers mounted on top of the 750-foot (230 m) towers.[2] The project was scaled down from 750 megawatts (1,010,000 hp) to 500 MW in May 2012, for which it has a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Southern California Edison (SCE).[3]

In December 2011, the California Energy Commission (CEC) accepted the application for certification for the Rio Mesa SEGF. In October 2012, Rio Mesa received preliminary approval from the CEC; final approval was needed by June 2013 to fulfill its PPA.[4] However, the discovery of a large deposit of Pleistocene fossils underlying part of the project's area delayed approval or construction.[5] In January 2013, BrightSource suspended the Rio Mesa project;[6] the project was formally cancelled in July 2013.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "CEC begins review for Rio Mesa". Power Engineering. 15 December 2011.
  2. 1 2 "BrightSource Calif. Rio Mesa solar plant passes state test". Reuters. October 1, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
  3. ↑ Danelski, David (May 11, 2012). "Company scales back solar project". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
  4. ↑ K. Kaufmann (October 2, 2012). "Rio Mesa solar project moves forward". The Desert Sun. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
  5. ↑ Clarke, Chris (September 10, 2012). "Mammoth Fossils Found at Rio Mesa Solar Site". ReWire. KCET. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
  6. ↑ Clarke, Chris (January 14, 2013). "BrightSource Walks Away From Rio Mesa 'For Now'". ReWire. KCET. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  7. ↑ Clarke, Chris (July 3, 2013). "Another Large Solar Power Project Canceled in California". ReWire. KCET. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
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