Genesis Solar Energy Project

Genesis Solar Energy Project
Mirrors of the project,
Mojave Desert, Lower Colorado River Valley, California.
Country United States
Location Riverside County, California
Coordinates 33°39′54″N 114°59′41″W / 33.66500°N 114.99472°W / 33.66500; -114.99472Coordinates: 33°39′54″N 114°59′41″W / 33.66500°N 114.99472°W / 33.66500; -114.99472
Status Operational
Construction began December 15, 2010
Commission date April 24, 2014[1]
Construction cost US$1.25 billion[2]
Owner(s) NextEra Energy Partners
Operator(s) NextEra Energy Resources
Solar field
Type CSP
CSP technology Parabolic trough
Collectors 500,000
Site area 1,920 acres (780 ha)
Power generation
Units operational 2
Nameplate capacity 280 MW[3]
Annual net output 621 GW·h (2015)

The Genesis Solar Energy Project is a concentrated solar power station located in the Mojave Desert on 1,920 acres (780 ha) of Bureau of Land Management land, in eastern Riverside County, California. The plant is owned/managed by Genesis Solar, LLC, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC. The Genesis Solar Energy Project is located about 25 miles (40 km) west of Blythe, in the Lower Colorado River Valley.[4] The plant was built in the Colorado Desert along an ancient trade route that native people had traveled for thousands of years. The route traversed the Sonoran Desert and enabled trade between the Colorado River and the coast.[5]

The solar power plant consists of two independent 125 MW net (140 MW gross) sections, using solar trough technology.[6] This was one of three of the world’s largest solar plants, that began supplying power in 2013 and 2014, located in the deserts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties.[7] The Project power block and solar arrays occupy about 1,360 acres (550 ha) of the site. The rest are the evaporation ponds, access road, administration buildings and some fenced open area. The 1840 Solar Collector Assemblies are 1,048 square metres (11,280 sq ft) each, yielding 1,928,320 square metres (20,756,300 sq ft) of total solar aperture.

A June 2014 report details the project's potential impact on bird populations.[8]


Production

Genesis Solar Energy Project's production is as follows (MWh).[9]

Generation (MW·h) of Genesis Solar Energy Project [9]
YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
2013 3456,684 7,029
2014 4,89213,08048,45560,96072,62180,97968,86166,96963,97646,23635,27113,813 576,113
2015 16,87640,98060,87570,91972,72570,89870,19069,00952,73241,16033,60121,489 621,454
2016 17,57345,94055,70455,73779,17776,28277,78767,89058,97148,24530,61810,218 624,142
2017 21,24828,11262,03164,57575,99283,29768,33668,70462,51555,70822,09916,214 627,831
Total2,456,569


Projected full production is 580,000 MW·h per year.[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Another Huge Solar Plant Goes Online in California's Desert Archived 2016-05-15 at the Portuguese Web Archive, Chris Clarke, REWIRE, May 5, 2014
  2. ↑ Wesoff, Eric (30 August 2011). "250MW Genesis Thermal Solar Gets $852M DOE Loan Guarantee". www.greentechmedia.com. Wood Mackenzie. Archived from the original on 21 December 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  3. ↑ "Genesis Solar Energy Project Eastern Riverside County, California - Amendment (09-AFC-8)" (PDF). California Energy Commission. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  4. ↑ Energy.ca.gov: Genesis Solar Energy Project
  5. ↑ Danelski, David (April 20, 2015). "SACRIFICED FOR SOLAR: Sacred tribal area destroyed for efficiency's sake". The Press-Enterprise. Riverside, California.
  6. ↑ Blm.gov: Renewable Energy Projects Approved Since the Beginning of Calendar Year 2009
  7. ↑ Danelski, David (April 16, 2015). "SOLAR POWER: Inland plants boost state to No. 1". The Press-Enterprise. Riverside, California.
  8. ↑ Kagan, Rebecca A (2014-06-23). "Avian Mortality at Solar Energy Faciites in California: A Preliminary Analysis" (PDF). Palen Solar Power Project - Compliance. Retrieved 2014-12-07.
  9. 1 2 "Genesis Solar Energy Project, Monthly". Electricity Data Browser. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Genesis Solar Energy Project". Concentrating Solar Power Projects. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). April 25, 2014. Retrieved 2015-06-28.
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