tonopah solar energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of solarreserve, proposes to construct, own, and operate the crescent dunes solar energy project. the project will be a solar generating facility located northwest of tonopah, nevada, in nye county with a nominal net generating capacity of 100 megawatts (mw). when completed, tonopah solar energy’s facility will supply approximately 480,000 megawatt hours annually of clean, renewable electricity – enough to power up to 75,000 homes during peak electricity periods utilizing its innovative energy storage capabilities.

the cresent dunes solar energy project will utilize concentrating solar power (csp) technology, with a central receiver tower and the advanced molten salt system technology from united technologies corp.  if all permits are received by december 2010 as planned, the plant would be available for operation in 2013. the project will help meet the increasing demand for clean, renewable electrical energy in the us and help reduce reliance on fossil fuels and associated greenhouse gas emissions.

the key project benefits include that the the proposed solar facility will generate approximately 480,000 mwh of renewable energy per year and can avoid or displace greenhouse gas emissions produced by fossil-fueled power plants.  it will be able to help meet growing demand for clean, renewable energy sources.  the project will significantly reduce the use of water for cooling by using a more costly hybrid cooling system.  the energy storage inherent in the technology provides a stable yet flexible electricity product to better meet nevada’s peak demand profile and improve grid reliability.  and lastly, the project will promote economic development by creating up to 400-500 construction jobs during the peak of construction and up to 50 permanent jobs.