Oct 30 2010
The federal Bureau of Land Management has approved the 664 MW Calico Solar Project intended for San Bernardino County. The California Energy Commission has seven proposals for solar power plants in the desert. California has over 270 renewable-energy projects in progress, which can produce approximately 70,000 MW of clean power.
Calico Solar, a subsidiary of Tessera Solar North America based in Houston, is supporting the project. The company had to decrease the power of 850 MW generated over 8,200 acres of land to protect the habitat for the endangered desert tortoise and the bighorn sheep.
The Calico solar project will generate 180 permanent operating jobs after the completion of the project, and employ 700 people for the construction. The SunCatcher solar dishes, designed for the project, will be installed on the Mojave Desert in Barstow.
Tessera Solar North America is a unit of NTR, a renewable-energy company in Ireland. In addition, Calico Solar is currently working on another project, called Imperial Valley Solar Project.