Project Name

Beacon Solar Energy Project

Abengoa Mojave Solar Project
Solar Millennium Blythe
Ivanpah Solar
Imperial Valley Solar Project (Formerly SES Solar Two Project)
Genesis Solar
Calico Solar Project (Formerly SES Solar One Project)
Solar Millennium Palen
Rice Solar Energy Project
Solar Millennium Ridgecrest
TOTAL
FOOTNOTES
Concentrating Solar Power Plant Development in California during 2010
i
Data taken directly from the individual CSP project reports by the CEC (http://www.energy.ca.gov/siting/solar/index.html), except for Ridgecrest, which was taken from an estimate by NREL (http://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/project_detail.cfm/projectID=52).
iv
Estimates are from NREL (http://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/by_country_detail.cfm/country=US), except for Beacon, which is from Green Tech Media (http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/nexteras-250-mw-beacon-csp-project-clears-california-energy-commission-hurd/). Dates are subject to change.
ii
Worldwatch calculations based on projected water usage data (in acre-feet per year) from the individual CSP project reports by the CEC (http://www.energy.ca.gov/siting/solar/index.html), except for Ridgecrest, which is approximately half of the annual water consumption at Palen. Assume 1 acre-feet/year = 325,851.4 gallons/year.
iii
Calculations are simply projected water consumption divided by the expected electricity output .
Applicant Location
Beacon Solar LLC Kern County
Abengoa Solar Inc. San Bernardino County
Solar Millennium LLC Riverside County
Solar Partners/Brightsource San Bernardino County
Imperial Valley Solar LLC Imperial County
Genesis Solar LLC / NextEra Energy Resources LLC Riverside County
Calico Solar LLC/Tessera Solar (formerly Stirling Energy Systems) San Bernardino County
Solar Millennium LLC Riverside County
Rice Solar LLC / SolarReserve LLC Riverside County
Solar Millennium LLC Kern County
Concentrating Solar Power Plant Development in California during 2010
i
Data taken directly from the individual CSP project reports by the CEC (http://www.energy.ca.gov/siting/solar/index.html), except for Ridgecrest, which was taken from an estimate by NREL (http://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/project_detail.cfm/projectID=52).
iv
Estimates are from NREL (http://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/by_country_detail.cfm/country=US), except for Beacon, which is from Green Tech Media (http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/nexteras-250-mw-beacon-csp-project-clears-california-energy-commission-hurd/). Dates are subject to change.
ii
Worldwatch calculations based on projected water usage data (in acre-feet per year) from the individual CSP project reports by the CEC (http://www.energy.ca.gov/siting/solar/index.html), except for Ridgecrest, which is approximately half of the annual water consumption at Palen. Assume 1 acre-feet/year = 325,851.4 gallons/year.
iii
Calculations are simply projected water consumption divided by the expected electricity output .
Nameplate Capacity (MW)
Expected Electrical Output
i
(MWh/yr)
Technology
250 600,000 parabolic trough
250 630,000 parabolic trough
1,000 2,100,000 parabolic trough
370 888,000 central tower
750 1,619,963 Stirling engine/dish
250 600,000 parabolic trough
850 1,839,785 Stirling engine/dish
500 1,000,000 parabolic trough
150 450,000 central tower
250 500,000 parabolic trough
4620 10,227,748
Concentrating Solar Power Plant Development in California during 2010
i
Data taken directly from the individual CSP project reports by the CEC (http://www.energy.ca.gov/siting/solar/index.html), except for Ridgecrest, which was taken from an estimate by NREL (http://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/project_detail.cfm/projectID=52).
iv
Estimates are from NREL (http://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/by_country_detail.cfm/country=US), except for Beacon, which is from Green Tech Media (http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/nexteras-250-mw-beacon-csp-project-clears-california-energy-commission-hurd/). Dates are subject to change.
ii
Worldwatch calculations based on projected water usage data (in acre-feet per year) from the individual CSP project reports by the CEC (http://www.energy.ca.gov/siting/solar/index.html), except for Ridgecrest, which is approximately half of the annual water consumption at Palen. Assume 1 acre-feet/year = 325,851.4 gallons/year.
iii
Calculations are simply projected water consumption divided by the expected electricity output .
Cooling System
Projected Water Consumption
ii
(gal/yr)
wet cooling (recycled water) 456,000,000
wet cooling (cooling towers) 277,000,000
dry cooling (air-cooled condenser) 196,000,000
dry cooling (air-cooled condenser) 32,600,000
no water used for generation or cooling 10,600,000
dry cooling (air-cooled condenser) 56,200,000
no water used for generation or cooling 6,840,000
dry cooling (air-cooled condenser) 95,800,000
dry cooling (air-cooled condenser) 48,900,000
dry cooling (air-cooled condenser) 47,900,000
1,227,840,000
Concentrating Solar Power Plant Development in California during 2010
i
Data taken directly from the individual CSP project reports by the CEC (http://www.energy.ca.gov/siting/solar/index.html), except for Ridgecrest, which was taken from an estimate by NREL (http://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/project_detail.cfm/projectID=52).
iv
Estimates are from NREL (http://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/by_country_detail.cfm/country=US), except for Beacon, which is from Green Tech Media (http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/nexteras-250-mw-beacon-csp-project-clears-california-energy-commission-hurd/). Dates are subject to change.
ii
Worldwatch calculations based on projected water usage data (in acre-feet per year) from the individual CSP project reports by the CEC (http://www.energy.ca.gov/siting/solar/index.html), except for Ridgecrest, which is approximately half of the annual water consumption at Palen. Assume 1 acre-feet/year = 325,851.4 gallons/year.
iii
Calculations are simply projected water consumption divided by the expected electricity output .
Estimated Water Efficiency
iii
(gal/MWh) Land Area
i
(acres)
Date Filed
760.0 1,321 3/14/2008
439.7 1,420 8/10/2009
93.3 5,950 8/24/2009
36.7 3,580 8/31/2007
6.5 6,500 6/30/2008
93.7 1,800 8/31/2009
3.7 6,215 12/2/2008
95.8 2,970 8/24/2009
108.7 1,400 10/21/2009
95.8 1,440 9/1/2009
120.0 32,596
Concentrating Solar Power Plant Development in California during 2010
i
Data taken directly from the individual CSP project reports by the CEC (http://www.energy.ca.gov/siting/solar/index.html), except for Ridgecrest, which was taken from an estimate by NREL (http://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/project_detail.cfm/projectID=52).
iv
Estimates are from NREL (http://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/by_country_detail.cfm/country=US), except for Beacon, which is from Green Tech Media (http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/nexteras-250-mw-beacon-csp-project-clears-california-energy-commission-hurd/). Dates are subject to change.
ii
Worldwatch calculations based on projected water usage data (in acre-feet per year) from the individual CSP project reports by the CEC (http://www.energy.ca.gov/siting/solar/index.html), except for Ridgecrest, which is approximately half of the annual water consumption at Palen. Assume 1 acre-feet/year = 325,851.4 gallons/year.
iii
Calculations are simply projected water consumption divided by the expected electricity output .
Date Approved
Expected Start
iv
8/24/2010 2013
9/8/2010 2013
9/15/2010 2013
9/22/2010 2013
9/29/2010 2014
9/29/2010 2014
10/28/2010 2014
12/15/2010 2014
12/15/2010 2013
Under Review Pending
Concentrating Solar Power Plant Development in California during 2010
i
Data taken directly from the individual CSP project reports by the CEC (http://www.energy.ca.gov/siting/solar/index.html), except for Ridgecrest, which was taken from an estimate by NREL (http://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/project_detail.cfm/projectID=52).
iv
Estimates are from NREL (http://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/by_country_detail.cfm/country=US), except for Beacon, which is from Green Tech Media (http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/nexteras-250-mw-beacon-csp-project-clears-california-energy-commission-hurd/). Dates are subject to change.
ii
Worldwatch calculations based on projected water usage data (in acre-feet per year) from the individual CSP project reports by the CEC (http://www.energy.ca.gov/siting/solar/index.html), except for Ridgecrest, which is approximately half of the annual water consumption at Palen. Assume 1 acre-feet/year = 325,851.4 gallons/year.
iii
Calculations are simply projected water consumption divided by the expected electricity output .
Low
Natural Gas, combined cycle, conventional gas (Worldwatch)
i
576
Natural Gas, combined cycle,Marcellus Shale (Worldwatch)
i
606
Coal, Appalachia (Worldwatch)
i
2063
Coal, Powder River Basin (Worldwatch)
i
1981
Nuclear (CRS)
ii
1798.1
FOOTNOTES
i
Data based on figures in a recent Worldwatch paper on the lifecycle water consumption of natural gas and coal power plants (http://www.worldwatch.org/system/files/NGSEI-BriefingPaper2.pdf). Converted from liters per megawatt-hour to gallons per megawatt-hour assuming that 1 gal = 3.7854 liters.
ii
Nuclear figures from a 2009 study by the Congressional Research Service (http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Solar-Water-Use-Issues-in-Southwest.pdf).
Lifecycle Water Efficiency (liters/MWh)
Power Plants with Wet Cooling Towers
High Low High
1986 152.2 524.6
2016 160.1 532.6
4249 545.0 1122.5
4102 523.3 1083.6
3406.9 475 900
i
Data based on figures in a recent Worldwatch paper on the lifecycle water consumption of natural gas and coal power plants (http://www.worldwatch.org/system/files/NGSEI-BriefingPaper2.pdf). Converted from liters per megawatt-hour to gallons per megawatt-hour assuming that 1 gal = 3.7854 liters.
ii
Nuclear figures from a 2009 study by the Congressional Research Service (http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Solar-Water-Use-Issues-in-Southwest.pdf).
Lifecycle Water Efficiency (liters/MWh) Lifecycle Water Efficiency (gal/MWh)
i
Data based on figures in a recent Worldwatch paper on the lifecycle water consumption of natural gas and coal power plants (http://www.worldwatch.org/system/files/NGSEI-BriefingPaper2.pdf). Converted from liters per megawatt-hour to gallons per megawatt-hour assuming that 1 gal = 3.7854 liters.