PROJECT SUMMARY
Tonopah Solar Energy, LLC, (TSE) an affiliate of SolarReserve, LLC, is the developer of the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project. The project is located northwest of Tonopah, Nevada, in Nye County with a nominal net generating capacity of 110 megawatts (MW). When completed, Tonopah Solar Energy’s facility will supply approximately 500,000 megawatt hours annually of clean, reliable electricity – enough to power up to 75,000 homes during peak electricity periods utilizing its innovative energy storage capabilities.
The Cresent Dunes Solar Energy Project will utilize SolarReserve's concentrating solar power (CSP) technology, with a central receiver tower and the leading integrated energy storage technology that was developed by Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (UTC). Construction at the plant began in August of 2011, and the plant is expected to be in operation by January 2014. The project will help meet the increasing demand for clean, renewable electrical energy in the US and help reduce reliance on fossil fuels and associated greenhouse gas emissions.
Key Project Benefits:
- The Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Plant will generate approximately 500,000 MWh of renewable energy per year.
- Help meet growing demand for clean, renewable energy sources.
- The project will significantly reduce the use of water for cooling by using a more costly hybrid cooling system.
- The energy storage inherent in the technology provides a stable yet flexible electricity product to better meet Nevada’s peak demand profile and improve grid reliability.
- The project will promote economic development by creating up to 600 direct construction jobs during the peak of construction, 50 permanent jobs, and around 4,300 direct, indirect and induced jobs throughout the supply chain.