Solar Map: More Than 30 Utility-Scale Solar Plants in the U.S.

Posted August 27th, 2008 at 5:00 am in Big Green

There are more than 30 utility-scale solar power plants, one megawatt or larger, under various stages of development in the U.S., and we decided to start mapping them out. These are solar plants that have either signed a power purchase agreement with a utility, are included in the DOE’s official list of power generation sources or have applied for state permits like from the California Energy Commission.

So check out our annotated Google map, embedded below. Like our other maps, we’ll add more info and update the map as news warrants.

View Larger Map

There may need to be a lot of updates — potentially taking points away — as many of these projects are in peril should Congress fail to renew the investment tax credit in a timely manner. We’ve heard from utility giants and solar executives that without the ITC the future of large-scale solar is stuck in limbo.

Google’s eye-in-the-sky even lets you see some of the solar power plants if you’re looking at the satellite photos. To see more cleantech wonders via satellite images, check out our Eco-Tour of Google Earth.

Sources: Solar Energy Industries Association, California Energy Commission, DOE Energy Information Administration.

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[...] are in various stages of development. Big solar is only going to get bigger. Check out the map and read the full story over at Earth2Tech. Rating: None Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Print gigaom:[qi:_earth2tech] Share/Email [...]

Solar Map: Over 30 Big Solar Projects in… — 8:42 AM on August 27, 2008

[...] map (via Earth2Tech) pinpoints the more than 30 utiity-scale solar power plants in the [...]

Apollo Daily Digest » Blog Archive… — 9:25 AM on September 2, 2008

[...] photovoltaic project.” The GV1 project is to be built on eight acres in Tracy, Calif. (Check it out on our map.) GreenVolts has signed a power purchase agreement with utility PG&E for 2 megawatts of power by [...]

GreenVolts Concentrates on Utility Project… — 12:37 PM on September 22, 2008

GreenVolts Concentrates on Utility Project… — 5:18 PM on September 22, 2008

[...] Founded in 2006, the company has moved quickly and SPP CEO and President Alexander von Welczeck tells us the company has already completed 19 projects. SPP currently has another 22 projects in development which it plans to complete by the end of November by which time the company expects to have nearly 15 megawatts worth of installations operating in California, Hawaii, New Jersey and Connecticut. While SPP will be looking to expand nationally, von Welczeck says the Northeast is an area that holds particular promise for SPP. Check out the company’s own solar map to see the layout of their projects; we do love a good solar map. [...]

Solar Power Partners Piles On $160M for Solar… — 10:05 PM on September 29, 2008

Solar Power Partners Piles On $160M for Solar… — 11:11 PM on September 29, 2008

Solar Power Partners Piles On $160M for Solar… — 2:50 AM on September 30, 2008

[...] Founded in 2006, the company has moved quickly; CEO and President Alexander von Welczeck tells us the company has already completed 19 projects. SPP currently has another 22 projects in development that it plans to complete by the end of November, by which time the company expects to have nearly 15 megawatts of installed capacity operating in California, Hawaii, New Jersey and Connecticut. While SPP will be looking to expand nationally, von Welczeck says the Northeast is an area that holds particular promise for SPP. Check out the company’s own solar map to see the layout of it’s projects. (We do love a good solar map!) [...]

Solar Feeds Gadgets » Solar Power Partners… — 11:31 AM on October 1, 2008

[...] where more than 30 utility-scale solar plants have been proposed in the last 18 months (we’ve mapped them here). Operations in other U.S. states, as well as in Japan, South Korea and Europe bring the [...]

Eurus Energy to Build 1 MW Solar Plant in… — 8:58 AM on February 24, 2009

Energy World » Blog Archive »… — 1:58 AM on February 25, 2009

[...] Lux says that in most markets, utility-scale solar generation (projects of 1 MW or more), grid parity remains at least a decade away in most markets, and [...]

Threat to Solar Market: Government Budget… — 1:32 PM on July 7, 2009

[...] Originally Posted by thecoalman It's not bias and it's not my opinion, it's fact. If it were cheaper than coal we wouldn't be having this discussion because legislation like Cap and Tax, the mandates for renewable energy usage and all the subsidization wouldn't be necessary. Investors for this technology would be forming a conga line out the front door of these comapnies. That's the way business works, when you can make the same product for the same cost. Show me one example that even remotely would suggest it's even close to be competitive with coal. You won;t find any because they don't exist. Take for example my calculations on what it would cost for solar panels installation, I'm using solar industry numbers and all you have done is flap your lips I'm wrong… Saying "I would guess it would add 20-30k extra" is not data. And once again your only issue is the $$$$. Not the fact that coal is dirty, will continue to pollute and will run out. Its finite. The sun is not. There is bigger up front costs associated with solar but not long term. If its not in the ball park why in the state of oregon are there huge solar productions going on? Have you ever heard of large scale solar?? the future isn't in individual houses with panels Solar Map: More Than 30 Utility-Scale Solar Plants in the U.S. [...]

Gore cancels Copenhagen climate lecture … — 8:38 PM on December 7, 2009

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Solar Map: More Than 30 Utility-Scale Solar Plants in the U.S.

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