The following is a press release highlighting a new $30 million stimulus investment designed to accelerate development of a prototype commercial scale oxy-fuel turbine. Clean Energy Systems calls the development of the prototype a key step in plans to build "zero emissions power plants".
Clean Energy Systems Secures $30 Million to Accelerate Zero Emission Power Plant Technology
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Clean Energy Systems (CES) has been selected by the US Department of Energy (DOE) for $30 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Funding to accelerate development of zero emission power plants using a variety of fuel sources. The DOE will provide $30 million under ARRA to support development of a first of a kind commercial-scale oxy-fuel turbine, which is central to CES’ technology. The oxy-fuel turbine can use a diverse set of fuels including natural gas, bio-fuels, refinery off gases, and gasified petroleum coke, while capturing nearly all the carbon dioxide.
With this funding, we will be able to accelerate our turbine program to deploy and test the critical components for a zero emission power plant,” said Keith Pronske, President and CEO of CES. “We can make power without pollution a reality years ahead of our previous plans.”
Total program costs of approximately $43 million will be used to build and test a 150 megawatt turbine with accompanying CES technology by 2012. The program is expected to contribute over 150 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs over the next several years.
“The DOE funding will allow CES to develop necessary technology for power plants with no smokestack and essentially zero emissions within two years,” Pronske continued. Pronske expressed gratitude to the bipartisan support provided by congressional leaders over the past several years. “We’ve been very fortunate to have strong bipartisan support to help advance development of this cutting edge technology,” he said. “In particular, Congressman Jim Costa, Congressman Dan Lungren, and Congresswoman Doris Matsui have all dedicated significant time and effort to advance the benefits of these clean technologies which reflect environmental stewardship and bring high-value manufacturing jobs to California.”
“Securing this funding is a major victory for our region’s economy and future generations of Valley residents,” said Congressman Costa. “This project will further spur economic development in the heart of our Valley while creating high-paying jobs over the short and long-term. I am proud to have supported this funding and I commend the leadership of CES for helping make our region an emerging hub for innovation and energy development.”
Congressman Lungren said, “The growth in Clean Energy Systems and the cutting edge research they are involved in has been extraordinary.It has been my pleasure to assist CES throughout the grant process and follow their growth.It is important for Congress to support innovative companies as they grow and develop.California, and particularly the capitol region, is poised to take a leadership role in the clean-green energy field. The development of zero emissions commercial power plants will move CES to the forefront of the field while providing much needed manufacturing jobs to California.”
“The investment of $30 million in Federal funding for advanced carbon capture technology is indicative of this Congress’ commitment to support American-made clean energy products and technology,” stated Congresswoman Matsui.“Investing in American-made technology and products is a clear path to economic recovery, renewed financial stability, and measurable job growth.Moreover, targeted investments to support local companies like Clean Energy Systems will help our region seize the opportunity to create new jobs and position ourselves as a clean tech capital.”
The funding builds on work initiated in 2005 under the DOE’s Advanced Turbine program. Working with its partners, Siemens Energy and Florida Turbine Technologies, CES has completed the necessary engineering to develop the commercial-scale oxy-turbine.
“The development of Zero Emission Power Plants, driven by CES, has been the basis of close cooperation between CES, Siemens, and governmental authorities in the US and Europe for more than a decade,” said David Henson, Director, Engineering for Siemens Energy’s Oil & Gas Division. “Siemens looks forward to continuing its support of CES and their potential business partners in the development, scale up and commercialization of the technology.”
Siemens will support design efforts, materials testing, and turbine manufacture from its facilities in Orlando and Houston. Manufacturing of the turbine will commence within the next few months and testing to follow at CES’ Kimberlina Demonstration Plant located in Bakersfield (Kern County) CA during 2011.
CES currently operates the world’s largest oxy-combustion demonstration facility at its Kimberlina plant. With earlier funding from the DOE and the California Energy Commission, and support from Southern California Gas Co., CES built and tested a 5 Megawatt power plant at the Kimberlina site, providing clean electricity to the California power grid since 2005. Following expansion in 2008, the facility has been operated at thermal power levels in excess of 50 Megawatts and has the capacity to test up to 80 Megawatts, which is greater than any other similar facility in the world.
About Clean Energy Systems:
Clean Energy Systems, of Rancho Cordova, CA, specializes in the development of zero emissions commercial power plants using an oxy-fuel combustion process. The power plants use oxygen and various fuels to produce power that results in zero atmospheric emissions with carbon dioxide and water as byproducts. The company owns an extensive portfolio of patents and a Bakersfield, CA power plant, used to further develop the oxy fuel technology.
Clean Energy Systems is not the same company as the utility, Southern California Gas Co, and Clean Energy Systems is not regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission.More information on Clean Energy Systems can be found at www.cleanenergysystems.com
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced the launch of a new website designed to help the state's residents prepare for the green jobs of the future, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The project is part of the California's Clean Energy Task Force Program, which receives some of its funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The website, aptly dubbed Clean Energy Jobs, is now up and running. If you living in California and are interested in pursuing a job in the green industry, you may want to check this site out.
Midland, MI - Vice President Joe Biden and Assistant Secretary of State were in Michigan yesterday to mark the start of construction on an ARRA funded manufacturing plant that will build enough advanced batteries to power 60,000 electric-drive cars. The project will use stimulus money to create as many as 1,000 construction jobs, as well as 800 full time jobs once the facility is up and running. That's good news for Michigan, whose economy has been battered by the collapse of the American auto industry in recent years.
Ohio Governor Ted Strickland has announced two new initiatives designed to bolster the Buckeye State’s green economy. Clean energy companies that manufacture components for the wind, solar and biomass industries and provide green jobs training for their employees are now eligible to apply for the state’s new Energizing Careers Program. The $6 million ARRA funded program “will reimburse the cost of training up to $6,000 for full-time employees, with preferential project funding to companies located in the 44 Ohio counties impacted by the restructuring of the auto industry.” More information on the program and how to apply be found on the website of the Governor’s Workforce Policy Advisory Board.
Strickland also just signed into law SB 232, a bill providing for the elimination of “Ohio's tangible personal property tax and real taxes on generation for advanced energy project facilities that begin construction before January 1, 2012, produce energy by 2013 (or 2017 for nuclear, clean coal and cogeneration projects) and create Ohio jobs.”
The U.S. could miss out on 100,000 clean energy manufacturing jobs by 2015 and 250,000 by 2030 if current industry trends continue, according to a new report by the Apollo Alliance and Good Jobs First. The report, Winning the Race: How America Can Lead the Global Clean Energy Economy, estimates that 70 percent of the nation’s renewable energy systems and components are currently being manufactured abroad.
“We are quickly losing the chance to be a leader in what will be the biggest economic opportunity of the 21st century: the global clean energy economy,” Apollo Alliance Chairman Phil said in a press release announcing the report’s release. “While other countries are making massive investments in clean energy infrastructure and production-and creating tens of thousands of new jobs as a result-the United States doesn’t even have the capacity to meet its own demand for renewable energy components.”
The new report comes at a time when some lawmakers are growing concerned that foreign owned clean energy manufacturing companies are receiving large sums of federal stimulus money. Senators Sherrod Brown, Bob Casey, Charles Schumer, and Jon Tester have introduced legislation designed to ensure that federal investments in clean energy under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act go to American owned manufacturing companies.
“It is a no-brainer that stimulus funds should only go to projects that create jobs in the United States rather than overseas,” Senator Schumer said in a press release posted on his website. Our domestic clean-energy sector has the potential to emerge as a global leader and it is counterproductive to invest U.S. stimulus funds in Chinese companies rather than our own. We should not be giving China a head start in this race at our own country’s expense.”
China is currently the winning the race to become the global leader of the growing clean energy manufacturing sector, according to the report. China’s rise to the top has been fueled by an investment in clean energy technology that is estimated to equal $12.6 million every hour. China isn’t alone on this front. Together, Japan and South Korea have invested more than four times as much in clean energy than the U.S.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act represented a $110 billion federal investment in clean energy, providing new funding for advanced batteries, energy efficiency, high-speed rail, renewable energy, and smart grid technology. Those investments may already be paying off. The report cites Obama administration statistics estimating that 826,000 clean energy jobs have already by created by the stimulus package. The Recovery Act is also expected to create 30,000 manufacturing jobs in the clean energy sector.
Even with those new jobs, America’s manufacturing sector is in serious trouble. The study notes that the U.S. economy has lost a total of 5.7 million manufacturing jobs during the past decade, 2 million of those since 2007. If clean energy is going to be the solution to the nation’s manufacturing woes, more work needs to be done.
The report suggests that passing comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation is one way to spur the growth of the clean energy manufacturing sector in the U.S. Congress is close to doing just that. Last year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the America Clean Energy and Security Act. That bill would lead to a net increase of 1.7 million jobs in 10 years, according to analysis conducted by the Center for America Progress and the Political Economy Research Institute that was cited in the new report. It could also create more than 320,000 new manufacturing jobs in the clean energy sector. The Senate is now considering a similar bill, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act.
For Immediate Release March 02, 2010 Remarks by the President on Energy Efficiency in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah Technical College, Savannah, Georgia
12:31 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. (Applause.) Well, thank you so much. Everybody please have a seat, have a seat. Thank you. (Applause.) It is good to be back in Georgia. It is good to be back in Georgia -- although where’s the sun, guys? (Laughter.) I was looking forward to --
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Fired up!
THE PRESIDENT: I'm still fired up, but we've been getting a lot of snow in Washington, D.C., so I was looking forward to maybe 60, 70 degrees. (Laughter.) But I guess I'll take 50.
I want to, first of all, just make some acknowledgments of some wonderful leaders who are here. First of all, I want to thank President Kathy Love and the entire Savannah Tech community for their hospitality. (Applause.) I want to thank your governor, who I just had a chance to see recently, host him in the White House with the other governors -- Mr. Sonny Perdue. (Applause.) Your mayor, Otis Johnson, is in the house. (Applause.) Congressman John Barrow -- you're in his district. (Applause.) That's right. Congressman Jack Kingston -- (applause) -- Congressman Sanford Bishop -- (applause) -- and Congressman Hank Johnson are all in the house. (Applause.)
Well, thank you so much for taking the time to be here today. I really appreciate the opportunity to visit here at Savannah Tech. And I just took a brief tour of some of the classrooms where students are learning about clean energy. They’re learning about solar cells; they’re learning about efficient heating and cooling systems. You’ve got young people here who, through the YouthBuild program, are gaining job skills that will help them the rest of their lives. And by the way, they’re building a house right now while they’re at it. (Applause.)
From the instructors to the students, you saw just an incredible enthusiasm for America’s future. And I was just talking to President Love about the focus of Savannah Tech on clean energy, the idea that this can be a real model for green energy as a way of linking students to the enormous job opportunities and business opportunities that exist in the future. These are the skills that will help our country transform the way we produce and use energy.
And that's so important –- especially as families in Georgia and across America continue to experience the painful consequences of the worst economic crisis that we've had in generations.
I had also had a chance to meet with some business owners who told me what I've heard time and again, that it's tough out there. Unemployment in Georgia is still above 10 percent. That doesn't include folks who have had to accept part-time jobs or, in some cases, have given up finding a job altogether. And when it comes to domestic policy, I have no more important a job as President than seeing to it that every American who wants to work and is able to work can find a job -- and a job that pays a living wage. (Applause.) That was my focus last year and that is my focus this year: to lay a foundation for economic growth that will create jobs, that raises incomes, that will foster a secure economic future for middle class families.
This depends on not just spurring hiring, but doing so in the areas that will create lasting opportunities and prosperity. That's why we've invested in roads and railways so that our economy has room to grow and we're laying the infrastructure for the future. In fact, because of the Recovery Act, there are more than 300 transportation projects underway in Georgia right now. (Applause.)
That's why we invested in schools and prevented layoffs of hundreds of thousands of teachers and public school workers, including thousands of educators in this state -- because we know we will not be able to compete in new industries unless we've got workers ready to fill jobs in those industries. And I'd also point out that I've proposed the largest-ever investment in community colleges and technical schools like this one, to produce millions more graduates who are ready to meet the demands of a 21st century economy. (Applause.)
And to spur hiring and sustain growth we've placed a big emphasis on energy. Just a few weeks ago, I announced a loan guarantee to break ground on the first new nuclear power plant in our country in nearly three decades -– a project right here in Georgia -- (applause) -- right here in Georgia -- a project that's going to create more than 3,000 construction jobs in the next few years and ultimately 800 permanent jobs operating the plant. We're on track to create 700,000 jobs across America building advanced batteries for hybrid cars, and modernizing our electric grid, and doubling our capacity to generate clean energy.
And, in fact, here at Savannah Tech, the Recovery Act provided a grant to YouthBuild to help provide training in these very fields. (Applause.) Because I'm convinced that the country that leads in clean energy is also going to be the country that leads in the global economy. And I want America to be that nation. I don't want us to be second place or third place or fourth place when it comes to the new energy technologies; I want us to be in first. (Applause.)
So we have the potential to create millions of jobs in this sector. These are jobs building more fuel-efficient cars and trucks to make us energy independent. These are jobs producing solar panels and erecting wind turbines. These are jobs designing and manufacturing and selling and installing more efficient building materials -– because 40 percent of the energy we use is used by our homes and buildings. Think about that. All of us know that we use a lot of gas in our cars. But in terms of energy usage, 40 percent of it goes to our homes and our buildings.
So as we're looking for additional initiatives to spur hiring, I think we ought to embrace what's happening on this campus. I think we ought to continue to embrace the incredible potential that awaits us across America in clean energy. So in my State of the Union address, I called on Congress to pass a set of initiatives for homeowners who make their homes more energy-efficient -– to continue the energy transformation that's already begun. So today I want to explain the details of this program. And I also want to thank the members of the House and the Senate who are helping to usher this proposal through Congress.
Now, many of you have heard of “Energy Star” -- how many people have heard of “Energy Star”? You've seen that “Energy Star” sticker on a computer or on a microwave? The Energy Star program was created to promote energy efficiency by letting consumers know which appliances, which electronics would save electricity and, therefore, would save them money over time. The program I’m describing today applies this concept not to the appliances, but to the home itself –- and it takes it further. So we're going to call it “Homestar,” just to make it easy to remember. (Applause.)
Here’s how it would work. We’d identify the kinds of building supplies and systems that would save folks energy over time. And here's one of the best things about energy efficiency -- it turns out that energy-efficient windows or insulation, those things are products that are almost exclusively manufactured right here in the United States of America. (Applause.) It's very hard to ship windows from China. (Laughter.) So a lot of these materials are made right here in America.
So we take these materials, and if a homeowner decides to do work on his or her house -- to put in new windows, to replace a heating unit, to insulate an attic, to redo a roof -– the homeowner would be eligible for a rebate from the store or the contractor for 50 percent of the cost of each upgrade up to $1,500. Now, if you decided to retrofit your whole house to greatly reduce your energy use, you'd be eligible for a rebate of up to $3,000.
Now, these are big incentives. And you'd get these rebates instantly from the hardware store or the contractor. So if you went to Lowe's or Home Depot or wherever you went, right there when you paid at the cash register you'd get that money. You wouldn't have to mail in a long form, wait for a check to arrive months later. (Applause.)
Now, we know this will save families as much as several hundred dollars on their utilities. We know it will make our economy less dependent on fossil fuels, helping to protect the planet for future generations. But I want to emphasize that Homestar will also create business and spur hiring up and down the economy.
I was just meeting with a number of business leaders in different segments of this industry. We've got some manufacturers making insulation and windows and other products; we've got folks who are contractors. So -- stand up, guys -- the guys I just met with. See, they're already -- they're ready to work. They're ready to go. (Applause.) So we were just talking about how they are geared up and they've got the capacity to guarantee a homeowner that if they're willing to do this work on their house, they will get their money back -- not just through the rebate but in the energy savings that you're seeing each year.
Let's say you decide to use this rebate to seal up and insulate your attic -- because you want to save electricity, but also because you're tired of a drafty house. Think about all the ways in which that will stimulate jobs and growth. If you really knew what you were doing, you might do it yourself, but you're probably going to have somebody come to the house to carry out the installation work -– (laughter) -- because you did the smart thing and you refused to let your husband do it himself. (Laughter.) That's the smart thing. (Applause.) He'll be stubborn. He'll tell you he can do it -- (laughter) -- but don't listen to him.
So that creates work for small businesses and contractors like some of the folks who are here today. And obviously construction work is -- that's been as hard hit as anything during this recession, so you’ve got a lot of skilled contractors ready to go. And that, in turn, means that the contractors start hiring some of these folks who may have been laid off -- some of them may have been trained right here at Savannah Tech. Now, you also have to buy the insulation and the other materials, and that means you're producing business for your local retailer. And that retailer has to purchase those supplies from manufacturers –- as I said, most of them located right here in the United States of America. And I mentioned these domestic manufacturers who are in the crowd, they would benefit -- they would benefit from this program. And then there’s this huge amount of capacity -- excess capacity -- in construction and related industries to meet any surge in demand that was out there.
So the fact is that there’s nearly 25 percent unemployment in the construction industry so far, so construction companies, hardware stores, contractors, manufacturers -- they faced a rapid decline in demand in the wake of the mortgage crisis. And to make matters worse, these businesses have seen the same decline in credit that has hurt every sector of our economy.
So these are companies ready to take on new customers; they’re workers eager to do new installations and renovations; factories ready to produce new building supplies. All we’ve got to do is create the incentives to make it happen. And this is not a Democratic idea or a Republican idea; this is a common-sense approach that will help jumpstart job creation while making our economy stronger. (Applause.)
Ultimately, that’s what we’re called to do. Just like a responsible homeowner will invest in their homes in the near term to fortify their economic security in the long term, we’ve got to do the same as a country. It will have some costs on the front end -- you buy a new boiler, or you get some insulation, or you get some new windows, that's going to have an initial cost, and the same is true from a government perspective. And it’s going to be politically difficult to do some of this, but it’s what’s right to plan for our future.
The same is true when it comes to reforming our education system. The same is true when it comes to trying to make our health care system more affordable. The same is true when it comes to energy. Each of these things are hard; some of them have some costs on the front end, and working stuff through Congress is more than a notion. (Laughter and applause.) But by taking these steps we’ll help foster the kind of broadly shared growth that will serve us in the years and the decades to come.
That’s how we’ll create the conditions for businesses to expand and hire. That’s how we’ll truly grow our middle class again. That’s how we’ll not only rebuild our economy but we'll rebuild it stronger than it was before this crisis.
I am confident that we can do it. Savannah Tech is leading the way; a whole bunch of folks in this room are leading the way; and I just hope that Washington stands alongside you in making sure that we've got the kind of energy future that we need.
Thank you very much, everybody. God bless you. God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
Press Release: BRIGHTSOURCE ENERGY OFFERED NEARLY $1.4 BILLION IN LOAN GUARANTEES FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
(OAKLAND, CA) February 22, 2010 – BrightSource Energy, Inc., developer of utility-scale solar thermal power plants, announced today that the U.S. Department of Energy has conditionally committed to provide $1.37 billion in loan guarantees to support the financing of BrightSource’s Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System. The commitment to provide loan guarantees marks a key milestone in the development of the Ivanpah project, California’s first large-scale commercial solar thermal power plant in nearly two decades. When constructed, Ivanpah will be the world’s largest solar energy project, nearly doubling the amount of solar thermal electricity produced in the US today.
“This clean-energy investment will help create up to 1,000 construction jobs in California,” said California Senator Barbara Boxer. “In these tough times, we need investments like this to create good clean-energy jobs for Californians, increase our energy independence, protect our children from pollution and ensure American leadership in the clean energy economy.”
“As home to some of the world’s best solar fields and the nation’s largest green economy, it is no surprise the world’s largest solar energy project would choose California,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “Our ambitious environmental policies are promoting the growth of clean, reliable energy in our communities and growing green jobs up and down the state. And, it is projects like this one that will help us meet our long-term energy and climate change goals while creating jobs and moving us towards a cleaner more sustainable future.”
"I am very happy to see utility-scale solar projects like this one moving forward with strong Administration support, and I am hopeful that this project will serve as a cornerstone of the clean energy economy in the Southwestern U.S.,” said Nevada Senator Harry Reid. “I look forward to BrightSource and other solar companies putting more Nevadans to work by building major projects like this in Nevada very soon."
“The loan guarantee commitment from the U.S. Department of Energy serves as a tremendous validation of our technology, the BrightSource team’s ability to execute, and the Ivanpah project’s role in meeting our nation’s large-scale renewable energy needs,” said John Woolard, CEO of BrightSource Energy. “We’re truly humbled by the opportunity to help build our nation’s green energy economy by creating good jobs for local communities. We look forward to beginning construction on the Ivanpah project, making a real and substantive impact on climate change, and creating a model for environmentally-responsible energy projects.”
The loan guarantee is made possible by the Department of Energy’s Title XVII loan guarantee program, which was started in 2005 under the Energy Policy Act to support commercially proven technology in addition to innovative renewable energy technology. Under Section 1703 of the program, the Department of Energy issues a conditional commitment to guarantee loans to be provided by the U.S. Treasury’s Federal Financing Bank. Execution of the final loan guarantees is subject to the satisfaction of various conditions specified in the conditional commitment. The Ivanpah Project: Clean Energy, Union Jobs, Environmentally-Responsible Design The Ivanpah project, located in southeastern California, is an approximately 400 megawatt solar power facility consisting of three separate solar thermal power plants. When constructed, the project will produce enough clean energy to power 140,000 homes and nearly double the amount of solar thermal energy produced in the U.S. today.
The power generated from these solar plants will be sold under separate contracts with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE). PG&E will purchase approximately two-thirds of the power generated at Ivanpah and SCE will purchase approximately one-third. In all, BrightSource has contracted with PG&E and SCE to deliver more than 2,600 megawatts of electric power.
"In today’s challenging economy, the conditional loan guarantee commitment from the DOE for the Ivanpah project provides vital support for building California’s first utility-scale solar thermal project in nearly two decades," said Peter A. Darbee, PG&E Corporation Chairman, CEO and President. "We’re thrilled to be a part of this historic project, which will deliver additional clean energy to our customers and help advance California's renewable energy and economic development goals."
“The conditional loan guarantee commitment from the DOE for the Ivanpah project illustrates the important role that utility-scale solar must play in meeting our state’s clean energy and economic goals,” said Pedro Pizarro, executive vice president of Power Operations for Southern California Edison. “Addressing climate change and building our economy requires that we bring innovative technologies to market that can reliably deliver competitively priced clean energy at scale.”
Ivanpah: Creating Union Jobs
BrightSource and Bechtel, the engineering and construction contractor for the Ivanpah project, estimate that construction of the Ivanpah project will require approximately four million job hours of work and 1,000 union jobs at the peak of construction. In December 2009, Bechtel signed a project labor agreement with the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California (SBCTC) and the Building & Construction Trades Council of San Bernardino and Riverside counties to ensure that California’s local workforce benefits from the project. The project will also provide $400 million in local and state tax revenues, and produce $650 million in wages, over its first 30-year life.
“We are pleased that President Obama’s vision of a clean energy economy creating thousands of good jobs is beginning to become a reality” said Bob Balgenorth, President of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California. “By committing to a union workforce, this project will be training and employing the middle class workers that support our state’s economy.”
Ivanpah: An Environmentally-Responsible Project
The Ivanpah project will reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by more than 400,000 tons annually, which is the equivalent of taking more than 70,000 cars off the road. The project is also designed in an environmentally responsible manner. Instead of the extensive land grading and concrete pads employed by other competing solar technologies, BrightSource mounts mirrors on individual poles that are placed directly into the ground, allowing the solar field to be built around the natural contours of the land and avoid areas of sensitive plant species.
In order to conserve precious desert water, the Ivanpah project will employ an air-cooling system to convert the steam back into water in a closed-loop cycle. By using dry-cooling, the project will use only 100 acre feet of water per year; less than ten percent of the water used by the adjacent golf course and 25 times less water than competing solar thermal technologies that use wet-cooling.
In addition to employing an environmentally low impact technology, the company recently submitted an alternative design for the Ivanpah project, which would further reduce the project’s footprint and significantly minimize any potential environmental impacts. The alternative mitigation proposal and the DOE loan guarantee represent two key steps towards the construction of the Ivanpah project.
The Ivanpah project is scheduled to begin construction in the second half of 2010 following issuance of permits by the California Energy Commission and the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management. The project has also been identified as a “fast-track” priority by the U.S. Department of Interior for obtaining federal stimulus benefits for California under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
In September 2009, BrightSource selected Bechtel as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the Ivanpah project. Bechtel Enterprises, the project development and financing arm of the Bechtel organization, has committed to become an equity investor in all of the Ivanpah solar power plants. In December 2008, BrightSource signed an agreement with Siemens for the largest ever solar-powered steam turbine generator, which will be used for the first of the three Ivanpah plants.
“The DOE Loan Guarantee program serves as a tremendous catalyst for building our clean energy infrastructure,” said Ian Copeland, president of Bechtel Renewables. “The Ivanpah project will usher in a new era of advanced solar power, and help the state and local economies by providing new jobs. We are pleased to not only support BrightSource as the engineering and construction contractor but also as an investor, which reflects our confidence in the project and our commitment to developing clean, renewable power projects.”
Luz Power Tower 550 (LPT 550) Technology
The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating Facility will utilize BrightSource Energy’s proven Luz Power Tower 550 technology (LPT 550). The system produces electricity the same way as traditional power plants – by creating high temperature steam to turn a turbine. However, instead of using fossil fuels or nuclear power to create the steam, BrightSource uses sunlight, reflected by thousands of small mirrors called heliostats onto a boiler filled with water that sits atop a tower. When the sunlight hits the boiler, the water inside is heated and creates high temperature steam. The steam is then piped to a conventional turbine which generates electricity. This fully integrated system takes advantage of high operating efficiencies and low capital costs to provide reliable and low-cost carbon-free energy.
Today, the company’s LPT 550 solar system is employed at the Solar Energy Development Center (SEDC) in Israel’s Negev Desert. Operating over the past year, the SEDC is producing the world’s highest temperature turbine quality steam from solar energy.
For its technological leadership, BrightSource was selected as a 2009 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum. The only solar company to win the prestigious award in 2009, BrightSource Energy was recognized for helping global utility and industrial customers reduce their dependence on fossil fuels by providing clean, low-cost and reliable solar energy.
### About BrightSource Energy, Inc.
BrightSource Energy, Inc. provides clean, reliable and low cost solar energy for utility and industrial companies worldwide. The BrightSource Energy team combines nearly three decades of experience designing, building and operating the world’s largest solar energy plants with world-class project development capabilities. The company now has contracted to sell more than 2.6 gigawatts of power to be generated using its proprietary solar thermal technology. BrightSource Energy’s solar plants are designed to minimize their impact on the environment and help customers reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. Headquartered in Oakland, Calif., BrightSource Energy is a privately held company with operations in the United States, Israel, and Australia. To learn more about BrightSource Energy and solar thermal energy, visit www.brightsourceenergy.com.
For BrightSource information contact:
Kristin Hunter (415) 281-7161 Hill & Knowlton for BrightSource Energy kristin.hunter@hillandknowlton.com
Governor Doyle, Mayor Barrett Welcome Ingeteam Wind Manufacturing Facility to Milwaukee
For Immediate Release: February 16, 2010 Contact: Tony Hozeny, Department of Commerce, 608-267-9661 Laura Smith, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2162 Steve Kwaterski, Office of Mayor Barrett, 414-286-8504
Project will Create 275 Jobs, State Providing $5 Million in Assistance
MADISON - Governor Jim Doyle and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett today announced that Ingeteam, a Spanish wind company, will build a $15 million clean energy manufacturing facility in Milwaukee and create 275 jobs. Ingeteam will manufacture wind turbine generators and power converter and control systems for the wind and solar energy industries - combining Wisconsin's strengths in advanced manufacturing and clean energy.
"Ingeteam could have located their facility anywhere in the nation, but they chose Wisconsin because of our aggressive tax incentives, good business climate and our strong cooperation across all levels of government," Governor Doyle said. "The wind industry barely existed in Wisconsin a few years ago, but as we are proving again today, it is a big, growing part of our economy. Anyone who doesn't believe there are jobs in the clean energy economy will be able to walk into a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the Menomonee Valley and see hundreds of people in manufacturing jobs putting together generators for wind turbines."
Governor Doyle's budget last year created some of the strongest economic development tools in the country to help businesses create jobs and get people back to work. The Governor's efforts have helped bring businesses like Ingeteam and thousands of new jobs to communities throughout Wisconsin. The Governor has also worked to improve Wisconsin's tax ranking and business climate. Today, the state ranks 30th in business taxes. These economic incentives were integral to the decision of Ingeteam to build in Wisconsin.
Governor Doyle today announced that the state is providing $5 million in assistance for the Ingeteam facility - including a $4.5 million JOBs tax credit and a $500,000 Wisconsin Development Fund loan. Ingeteam has also received $1.66 million in Recovery Act clean-technology manufacturing tax credits and will receive further assistance from the City of Milwaukee. Governor Doyle recognized the hard work of Mayor Barrett, Wisconsin's Congressional Delegation and the Milwaukee-7 in helping bring Ingeteam to Milwaukee.
Since taking office, Governor Doyle has advanced an aggressive agenda to position Wisconsin as a leader in a growing clean energy economy. Four years ago, Wisconsin became one of the first states to enact renewable portfolio standards. As a result, the state has spurred development in biomass, solar and wind. Wisconsin is now one of the leading producers of ethanol in the country and is home to more than 300 companies and thousands of jobs in the wind industry.
Last month, Governor Doyle launched the Clean Energy Jobs Act, a landmark legislative package to accelerate the state's clean energy economy and create jobs. The package calls for updating renewable portfolio standards to generate 25 percent of Wisconsin's fuel from renewable sources by 2025 and sets a realistic goal of a 2 percent annual reduction in energy consumption by 2015. Building a clean energy economy will help Wisconsin capture energy dollars and create good jobs. A comprehensive economic assessment of the package found that it would directly create at least 15,000 green jobs in Wisconsin by 2025.
The White House has released a list of the companies that will benefit from $2.3 billion in new clean energy manufacturing tax credits under the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Names of the companies that will receive tax credits
Amount of the tax credit or credits requested by each company
Location of each company's headquarters by city and state
Location of the manufacturing facility that will receive investment by city and state
A description of each company's proposed investment or investments in clean energy manufacturing
According to a fact sheet issued by the White House:
In order to foster investment and job creation in clean energy manufacturing, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included a tax credit for investments in manufacturing facilities for clean energy technologies. The Section 48C program will provide a 30 percent tax credit for investments in 183 manufacturing facilities for clean energy products across 43 states.
Recovery Act investments of up to $2.3 billion for advanced energy manufacturing facilities will generate more than 17,000 jobs. This investment will be matched by as much as $5.4 billion in private sector funding likely supporting up to 41,000 additional jobs
