Austin Energy Considers Massive Solar Farm
With most city budgets stretching uncomfortably thin, it's not an easy time to commit to doling out tens of millions a year for a new solar project. Still, it looks like the city council in Lone Star State's capital will get a chance to vote on whether the city will do just that. Teaming up with SF-based Gemini Solar, Austin Energy hopes to win the city's approval on a 300 acre solar array on property the utility already owns. If approved, this project would more than double the generating capacity of the array at Nellis Air Force Base, the nation's largest solar array to date -- also operated by Gemini. Obviously, it would also put Austin well on its way to achieving the city's goal of producing 30% of it energy from renewable sources by 2020. In the current version of the deal being considered by the council, Austin Energy would be the array's exclusive client, paying a flat rate of $10 million a year for 25 years. According to estimates, the project would pull in enough of the sun's energy to power 5,000 homes, and it could be up and running by late 2010.
[via Eart2Tech]
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