New Opportunities for the Concentrated Solar Thermal Power Industry

April 7, 2012

PRWeb 

CSP project environmental approval and CSP-PV mix signifies even more potential for the concentrated solar thermal power industry to grow in the US

With the recent approval of Solar Reserve's 200-megawatt, two-tower Saguache Solar Energy Project comes a sense of excitement for not only Solar Reserve, but the industry as a whole. As Solana, Ivanpah, Cresecent Dunes and Rice projects continue to be constructed; this is the first announcement of a new CSP project, showing that installed CSP capacity is increasing at steady rate in 2012.  

Mammoth Solana Solar Project Half Finished in Arizona

April 24, 2012

SustainableBusiness.com 

Although we may see many smaller solar plants going forward, the big ones under construction in the US west are moving forward.

The world's largest solar concentrating plant, under construction in Arizona, is now half-finished and due to come online in the summer of 2013.

Spain-based Abengoa (MCE: ABG) is building the mammoth 280 megawatt (MW) plant with financial partner Capital Riesgo Global, a subsidiary of Banco Santander.

AMEC plc : AMEC awarded EPC contract for 35 MW solar project in Arizona

April 18, 2012

4-traders 

PHOENIX (18 April 2012) - AMEC, the international engineering and project management company, has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract by Arizona Public Service to design and construct a 35-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic plant being developed in Yuma, Arizona. The APS-owned project will be the first-ever solar facility to be built on Arizona State Trust lands.  

The value of the contract has not been disclosed.  

LS Power's 127-megawatt Arlington Valley Solar Energy II Project in Arizona's Maricopa County will soon get underway now that the company has completed financing the $550 million project.

It's the first-but not the last-utility-scale PV project for the company.

The company completed financing for the $550 million project with Prudential Capital Group and General Electric's Energy Financial Services unit. GE invested $100 million as an equity partner in the project.

Clean Wind Energy Tower, Inc. Selects First Site in United States to Build Green Renewable Energy Downdraft Tower

March 22, 2012

Market Watch 

Clean Wind Energy Tower, Inc. (the "Company"), announced today that the Company selected a site located in San Luis, Arizona, to pursue the construction of their innovative green renewable energy Downdraft Tower Facility. The Downdraft Tower has the capability of being operated with virtually no carbon footprint, fuel consumption, or residual waste. This technology will generate clean, cost effective and efficient electrical power without the damaging effects caused by using fossil or nuclear fuels, and other conventional power sources.

Public asked for input on proposed AZ wind farm

April 28, 2012

KPHO 

Federal officials are asking for public comment on a proposed wind farm about 40 miles northwest of Kingman in western Arizona.

The Bureau of Land Management opened the 45-day comment period on an environmental impact statement for the proposed wind farm on Friday.

BP Wind Energy is proposing to build up to 283 wind turbines on federal land to provide up to 500 megawatts of electricity.

The company is proposing to use about 47,000 acres for the project but has offered two alternatives that would reduce the amount of public-land use by about 25 percent.

Hydroelectric plan draws scrutiny; government agencies, tribe express concerns

March 26, 2012
The Daily Courier   

Numerous government agencies and Indian tribes want to be closely involved in the federal review of a large proposed hydroelectric facility north of Prescott.

During the preliminary comment period, many of them asked for a detailed analysis of the potential impacts of the project on the Upper Verde River.

One agency, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to deny a preliminary permit that the Longview Energy Exchange Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project applicant is seeking to study the feasibility of the project.

Priming the pump: Big Chino hydroelectric plan gets preliminary permit

April 26, 2012

The Daily Courier 

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a preliminary permit Thursday to a proposed hydroelectric facility in the Big Chino Valley north of Prescott.

The preliminary permit gives the Longview Energy Exchange LCC about 36 months to study the feasibility of the Longview Energy Exchange Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project, but doesn't allow any construction. The preliminary permit also grants first priority to the permittees to apply for a license to build the project.

The hydroelectric site is located on the Chino Grande Ranch and state trust lands about 30 miles north of Prescott.

March 14, 2012

The Bureau of Land Management Casper Field Office has released a finding of no significant impact for the Pinnacle Materials Douglas Quarry expansion project, effectively clearing the way for the company's quarry expansion seven miles south of Douglas.

The BLM decision on the environmental assessment for the project means the expansion poses little or no impacts on the surrounding lands and people.

Pinnacle Materials, Inc. proposes to expand mining, processing and hauling of 4.6 million tons crushed aggregate from split-estate land (private surface/federal minerals). The quarry has been operational since 2005, producing at a rate of up to 280,000 tons per year from a 10-acre mining site.  

Mohave County teams with mining company to file lawsuit against feds

April 18, 2012

Today's News-Herald 

Mohave County has teamed with mining company Quaterra Alaska Inc., and filed a lawsuit Monday in federal court in an effort to reverse a federal 20-year closure of one million acres of uranium-rich lands in northern Mohave County. The duo is requesting that the federal government stand down - and release the lands.

The lawsuit targets U.S. Bureau of Land Management and federal officials including U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and BLM director Robert Abbey. It challenges the land closure, which occurred Jan. 9, as unjustified when it comes to protecting the Grand Canyon watershed from the impacts of uranium mining.

Rosemont mine receives ADEQ water quality permit

April 13, 2012

Inside Tucson Business  

The planned Rosemont Copper mine has received a significant permit from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) covering mine discharges that could impact groundwater.

ADEQ, which issued the permit April, announced it on Monday.

Rosemont Copper President Rod Pace said the aquifer protection permit "is a major permitting milestone that clearly shows that our project stands up to thorough and intense scrutiny. This achievement puts us one major step closer to completing the permitting process."

March 30, 2012

Phoenix Business Journal 

Phoenix ranks as the 15th most expensive U.S. city to operate a data center in a new study, but the high cost hasn't dissuaded many companies from choosing locations in the Valley.

National site selection firm Boyd Co. compared the tax, real estate, utility and labor costs of running a computer data center in 50 U.S. metro areas.

Those in the industry say the Valley has much to offer that transcends costs, including a stable home that is free from natural disasters and a large telecommunications hub that gives them access to any service provider.

April 18, 2012

Business Wire  

The Alter Group announced plans to develop a speculative 605,700 SF cross-dock warehouse/distribution center valued at over $36 million at its 162-acre Buckeye Logistics Center at Buckeye Road and 67th Avenue in Phoenix, AZ, said Michael J. Alter, President of the Chicago-based national commercial real estate development firm. Groundbreaking is expected to take place in October, 2012.

According to Patrick E. Gallagher, Senior Vice President, "The Alter Group is presently talking to several capital partners to finalize the underwriting for this bulk distribution building. There are only a couple of large warehouse/distribution buildings still available in this segment of the market; vacancy rates for spaces above 500,000 SF, particularly in the Southwest submarket where Buckeye is located, are currently in the low single digits.

Click here to read more