Solana Generating Station in Gila Bend, AZ gets federal funding

...link via Kevin Fretz

The Solana Solar Station in Gila Bend that has been drawn up for a few years has finally received federal funding to start building the project. This project was championed by many Arizonians that felt that solar power was the way to go in the state. Finally getting the green-light and the funds is a huge relief to those excited about the project.

From the Arizona Republic:

"The 280-megawatt plant will be able to generate enough electricity to serve 70,000 houses at once when running at full capacity, and will be able to make power during the peak hours of demand from about 4-7 p.m. when traditional solar panels generate little electricity the low light of dusk."

The project will also add over 1,600 jobs to the Arizona economy, and use less water than the farmland that is currently there. The original website owner, Jay, was a huge fan of this project, and so was I when I first caught wind of it, and read about it. Looks like it will open in 2013. Here is a link to the article:

Arizona solar plant gets big boost from feds.

---Justin J. Stewart, link and news article via Kevin Fretz