Arizona is one of the sunniest states in the US and this is why Abengoa Solar decided to partner with Arizona Public Service Company (APS) to build the largest solar plant in the world. The 1900 acre plant located 70 miles southwest of Phoenix, near Gila Bend will be named Solona (”sunny place” in Spanish) and should be ready by 2011.

Here are a few specs of Solona:

• building cost is $1 billion
• 280 MegaWatts of power
• 70,000 to 84,000 homes will benefit from the solar energy
• average price APS will pay per kilowatt-hour electricity from Solona is 14 cents
• average price APS pays for kilowatt-hour electricity today (nuclear, coal, natural gas or renewable sources) is 9 cents

This is an example that we’re able to do it if we want to. The whole concept of Solona needs just one more thing: the US Congress to pass the clean energy tax credit that’s set to expire at the end of 2008.

I hope it passes.

via Inhabitat