A transmission line that will connect a 250-megawatt solar farm to the mains electricity grid in California was approved last week.
The Imperial Solar Energy Center West Project in Imperial County will generate enough power to serve the needs of more than 75,000 homes.
The photovoltaics based installation will be situated on private land and a 230 kilovolt transmission line will traverse approximately 8 kilometres of public lands to the existing Imperial Valley Substation.
“Through smart siting of projects, early environmental review and a coordinated approval process, Interior is helping to stand up a renewable energy economy, spurring innovation, job-creation, and investment in the private sector,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “When constructed, this solar project will add to a growing, sustainable energy strategy that will power our local communities and economies.”
The developer of the project will be required to acquire more than 100 acres of suitable wildlife habitat to compensate for impacts of the project.
Major renewable energy projects are sometimes criticised for the amount of land they can occupy – land that may be prime agricultural territory, or environmentally sensitive. Additionally, the further away from the point of consumption that electricity is generated, the greater the line loss while delivering the power. Electricity is lost when carried over long distances, usually as heat. Transmission and distribution losses in the USA and UK are estimate at around 7%.
It’s for these reasons that some believe every suitable rooftop in our towns and cities should be covered with solar panels first before utilising other land.
However, as part of Department of Interior’s commitment to responsible development of renewable energy, the Department said the Imperial Solar Energy Center West transmission project received extensive environmental review and mitigation measures; and the project will be constructed in an area already designated as a transmission corridor. The land upon which the actual installation will be situated is fallow farm land.
The State of California is working towards a 33% Renewable Portfolio Standard, which will require 15 gigawatts – 20 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2020.
