Big Solar Heats Up (Forbes)

[jpak]

http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/09/solar-nevada-california-business-energy_0209_solar_power.html

Following two decades of darkness, the market for big-time solar generation in the United States could soon see the light. More than a dozen young companies have plans to build a total of at least five gigawatts of solar projects in the vast deserts of the Southwest--enough to power more than 1.25 million homes.

Aggressive renewable portfolio standards in California that will require utilities to generate 20% of their electricity from renewable sources by next year, and the recent extension of the 30% investment tax credit for solar projects have given solar companies incentive to get their projects underway.

But many of the upcoming projects will use new technologies with limited proof of their reliability or ability to produce cheap power. Utility-scale solar projects generate electricity by the megawatt, as opposed to smaller rooftop photovoltaics used mainly to produce a few kilowatts to power a home or business.

With the help of tax credits and other subsidies, the new solar projects will need to produce power at a cost that's as close as possible to what utilities pay for electricity from gas-fired turbines, the benchmark that produces electricity for up to 15 cents per kilowatt hour.

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[DCKit]

1. "...will require utilities to generate 20% of their electricity from renewable sources by next year"

That can't be right. Even Ahnald's not that insane.