California energy officials have approved the first large-scale solar project in San Bernardino or Riverside counties since the state adopted mandates to reduce global warming, according to a report in the Press-Enterprise.
The 250-megawatt Abengoa Mojave Solar Project will provide clean energy for as many as 100,000 homes and brings in a $1.25 billion investment without using pristine desert lands. It is expected to start construction as early as mid-December on 1,765 acres of privately owned, abandoned farmland about 17 miles northwest of Barstow.
Scott Frier, chief operating officer of Abengoa Solar Inc., said the project still needs to obtain federal permits. The company is in line for federal stimulus incentives that would cover 30 percent of the project’s cost. “You can’t break ground until you have your federal environmental permitting in place,” he told the Press-Enterprise. “You also have to get groundbreaking activities going to qualify for federal treasury grants.”
The development is expected to employ up to 1,250 people over more than two years of construction, with an average workforce of 830. Once the plant is complete, an estimated 68 people will work there. It would be a huge boost to the communities of Barstow, Hinkley and Victorville, said San Bernardino County Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt.
