Ground was broken for the construction of a 300-acre solar power plant in Boulder City, Nev., expected to meet the power demands of about 40,000 households.
Nevada Solar One, developed by Solargenix Energy of North Carolina, is expected to spark the emergence of a renewable energy industry in southern Nevada, state officials told the Las Vegas Sun.
Schott AG, the German technology group, will be providing 19,300 solar receivers that will form the key components of the 64-megawatt power plant.
The use of solar power to produce electricity at the plant, rather than fossil fuels, will result in a reduction of greenhouse gases, equivalent to removing approximately 1 million cars from U.S. highways, according to a statement by Schott.
The plant, expected to cost $100 million, is scheduled to be operational by March 2007, said Gary Bailey, regional managing director for Solargenix.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
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