Genesis Solar Energy Project

{{Short description|Concentrated solar thermal power station in the Mojave Desert of California}}

{{Infobox power station

| name = Genesis Solar Energy Project

| image = Mirrors.JPG

| image_caption = Mirrors of the project,
Mojave Desert, Lower Colorado River Valley, California.

| coordinates = {{coord|33|39|54|N|114|59|41|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| name_official =

| country = United States

| location = Riverside County, California

| status = O

| construction_began = December 15, 2010

| commissioned = April 24, 2014[http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/solar/concentrating-solar/another-huge-solar-plant-goes-online-in-desert.html Another Huge Solar Plant Goes Online in California's Desert] {{webarchive|url= http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160515113819/http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/solar/concentrating-solar/another-huge-solar-plant-goes-online-in-desert.html |date=2016-05-15 }}, Chris Clarke, REWIRE, May 5, 2014

| decommissioned =

| cost = US$1.25 billion{{cite web

|url=https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/250mw-genesis-thermal-solar-gets-852m-doe-loan#gs.YhXrT1A

|title=250MW Genesis Thermal Solar Gets $852M DOE Loan Guarantee

|last=Wesoff

|first=Eric

|date=30 August 2011

|website=www.greentechmedia.com

|publisher=Wood Mackenzie

|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111221044427/http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/250mw-genesis-thermal-solar-gets-852m-doe-loan

|archive-date=21 December 2011

|url-status=live

|access-date=16 July 2018}}

| owner = NextEra Energy Partners

| operator = NextEra Energy Resources

| solar_type = csp

| solar_csp_technology = P

| solar_concentration =

| solar_collectors = 500,000

| solar_collectors_area =

| ps_site_area = {{convert|1,920|acre|abbr=on}}

| solar_site_resource =

| ps_units_operational = 2 x 140 MWe (gross)

| ps_electrical_capacity = 250 MW{{cite web

|url=http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/genesis_solar/compliance/documents/2012-04-13_Petition_to_Amend_TN-64751.pdf#page=17

|title=Genesis Solar Energy Project Eastern Riverside County, California - Amendment (09-AFC-8)

|publisher=California Energy Commission

|format=PDF

|access-date=1 July 2015

|archive-date=2015-09-13

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913005106/http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/genesis_solar/compliance/documents/2012-04-13_Petition_to_Amend_TN-64751.pdf#page=17

|url-status=dead

}}

| ps_electrical_cap_fac = 28.32% (2016-2020)

| ps_annual_generation = 620

| website =

}}

The Genesis Solar Energy Project is a concentrated solar power station located in the Mojave Desert on {{convert|1,920|acre}} of Bureau of Land Management land, in eastern Riverside County, California. The plant is owned/managed by Genesis Solar, LLC, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC. The Genesis Solar Energy Project is located about {{convert|25|mi}} west of Blythe, in the Lower Colorado River Valley.{{Cite web |url=http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/genesis_solar/ |title=Energy.ca.gov: Genesis Solar Energy Project |access-date=2013-05-01 |archive-date=2013-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510080933/http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/genesis_solar/ |url-status=dead }} The plant was built in the Colorado Desert along an ancient trade route that native people had traveled for thousands of years. The route traversed the Sonoran Desert and enabled trade between the Colorado River and the coast.{{cite news|work=The Press-Enterprise|title=SACRIFICED FOR SOLAR: Sacred tribal area destroyed for efficiency's sake|first=David|last=Danelski |date=April 20, 2015|place=Riverside, California|url= http://www.pe.com/articles/artifacts-765201-site-tribes.html}}{{cite web |title=Tribes want Biden to balance technology and cultural issues in renewable energy projects |url=https://www.azcentral.com/in-depth/news/local/arizona-environment/2021/01/18/tribes-want-biden-balance-renewable-energy-and-cultural-issues/4102836001/ |website=www.azcentral.com |language=en |date=2021-01-18 }}

The solar power plant consists of two independent 125 MW net (140 MW gross) sections, using solar trough technology.{{Cite web |url=http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/energy/renewable_energy/Renewable_Energy_Projects_Approved_to_Date.html |title=Blm.gov: Renewable Energy Projects Approved Since the Beginning of Calendar Year 2009 |access-date=2013-05-01 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130502011401/http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/energy/renewable_energy/Renewable_Energy_Projects_Approved_to_Date.html |archive-date=2013-05-02 |url-status=dead }} This was one of three of the world's largest solar plants, that began supplying power in 2013 and 2014, located in the deserts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties.{{cite news|work=The Press-Enterprise|title=SOLAR POWER: Inland plants boost state to No. 1|first=David|last=Danelski |date=April 16, 2015|place=Riverside, California|url=http://www.pe.com/articles/power-764966-solar-california.html}} The Project power block and solar arrays occupy about {{convert|1360|acre|ha}} of the site. The rest are the evaporation ponds, access road, administration buildings and some fenced open area. The 1840 Solar Collector Assemblies are {{convert|1048|sqm|sqft}} each, yielding {{convert|1928320|sqm|sqft}} of total solar aperture.

A June 2014 report details the project's potential impact on bird populations.{{Cite web

| last = Kagan

| first = Rebecca A

| title = Avian Mortality at Solar Energy Facilities in Southern California: A Preliminary Analysis

| work = Palen Solar Power Project - Compliance

| access-date = 2014-12-07

| date = 2014-06-23

| url = http://docketpublic.energy.ca.gov/PublicDocuments/09-AFC-07C/TN202538_20140623T154647_Exh_3107_Kagan_et_al_2014.pdf

| archive-date = 2014-12-26

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141226113505/http://docketpublic.energy.ca.gov/PublicDocuments/09-AFC-07C/TN202538_20140623T154647_Exh_3107_Kagan_et_al_2014.pdf

| url-status = dead

}}