NRG joins Brightsource on solar project
- Power company NRG Energy said it would join with Brightsource Energy to build and operate a the world's largest solar thermal plant and will invest up to $300 million to become the lead investor in the project.
The majority of solar power projects developed to date have been photovoltaic systems, in which sunlight is turned into electricity using semiconductor materials in panels, but several large-scale solar thermal, or concentrated solar, projects are in development.
Thermal solar power stations like the Brightsource project use mirrors to concentrate sunlight on a fixed point to heat a liquid that produces steam to power a turbine.
NRG, which previously announced a partnership to develop thermal solar plants with eSolar, said construction on the 392-megawatt Ivanpah project in the Mojave Desert had begun and was expected to be in operation by mid-2013.
Ivanpah has received a $1.375 billion conditional commitment from the U.S. Department of Energy for a loan guarantee, and has obtained all permits and approvals from both federal and California state agencies.
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TransAlta brings online 119 MW of wind power in US
CALGARY - TransAlta Renewables Inc says two US wind farms, with a total capacity of 119 MW and operated by its parent TransAlta Corp, became operational in December.
The 90-MW Big Level wind park in Pennsylvania started commercial operation on December 19. It sells power to technology giant Microsoft Corporation under a 15-year contract.
The 29-MW Antrim wind facility in New Hampshire is operational since December 24. It is selling power under 20-year contracts with Boston-based non-profit hospital and physicians network Partners Healthcare and New Hampshire Electric Co-op.
The Canadian renewable power producer, which has economic interest in the two wind parks, said…
