Solar power plant opened for the first time on US public land
First solar power plant on federal land was opened by Interior Secretary Salazar on Monday. The opening is a part of the Obama administration’s “all-of-the-above” energy strategy to increase green power sources.
The first commerical solar power plant on federal land opened on the Nevada-California border Monday in the Mojave desert.
The Enbridge Silver State North project will soon power about 10,000 homes said the Interior Secretary Salazar who was on hand to open the facility.
“This is a landmark day for solar energy and for the nation,” said Salazar, reported the Washington Times.
Read more on GlobalPost: Chinese solar panels hit with new US import duties
“Silver State North was the first solar project we approved on public lands and, 18 months later, the first of our priority projects to provide clean energy to the power grid."
The plant was opened by the Canadian energy giant Enbridge who bought it from solar panel maker First Solar in March.
The US Department of the Interior has approved nearly 30 clean energy projects on public land since 2009, including wind, solar and geothermal plants, in what the Obama administration calls the “all-of-the-above” energy strategy, reported Bloomberg.
Eight of those projects are solar energy plants.
The Silver State North is one of four solar power projects opening on federal land involving First Solar.
Read more on GlobalPost: Germany battles over the future of solar energy
The story you just read is not locked behind a paywall because listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Now more than ever, we need your help to support our global reporting work and power the future of The World. Can we count on you?