Siting Utility-Scale Concentrating Solar Power Projects
In 2002, Congress asked the U.S. Department of Energy to develop and scope out an initiative to fulfill the goal of having 1,000 megawatts (MW) of new parabolic trough, power tower, and dish engine solar capacity supplying the southwestern United States. In this paper, we present a review of the solar resource for Arizona, California, Nevada, and New Mexico. These four states have the greatest number of ''premium'' solar sites in the country and each has a renewable portfolio standard (RPS). We present information on the generation potential of the solar resources in these states. We also present regions within New Mexico that may be ideally suited for developing large-scale concentrating solar power (CSP) plants because of their proximity to load and their access to unconstrained transmission.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-99-GO10337
- OSTI ID:
- 860929
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/CP-550-37086; TRN: US200524%%269
- Resource Relation:
- Related Information: Presented at the 2004 DOE Solar Energy Technologies Program Review Meeting, 25-28 October 2004, Denver, Colorado. Also included in the proceedings available on CD-ROM (DOE/GO-102005-2067; NREL/CD-520-37140)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Current and Future Economics of Parabolic Trough Technology
Initial Thermal Energy Yield Potential for the Use of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) for Coal Hybridization in India