Ausra Inc. and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-Calif., have officially launched the Kimberlina Solar Thermal Energy Plant in Bakersfield, Calif.
At full output, Kimberlina will be able to generate 5 MW of electricity, enough to power 3,500 homes in central California. The Kimberlina plant is the first solar plant in the country to utilize Ausra's next generation technology, and it is the first solar thermal power plant of any type built in California in nearly 20 years, Ausra says.
The Kimberlina facility will also serve as the gateway toward developing Ausra's Carrizo Plains solar power plant. In November 2007, Ausra and California utility Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced a power purchase agreement for the 177 MW power plant in central California. When completed, Ausra's Carrizo facility will generate enough electricity to power more than 120,000 homes.
Source: Ausra
