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DCL
It's a sign that times are changing: the Departments of Energy and Interior have announced plans to open a solar demonstration zone at the Nevada Test Site, an area once used for nuclear testing.
More than 25 square miles will be dedicated to solar energy research under the new agreement. The Department of Energy explains a little more:
DOE will use the site to demonstrate innovative Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) technologies. CSP systems concentrate the sun's energy and capture that energy as heat, which then drives an engine or turbine to produce electrical power.
The Solar Demonstration Zone will complement BLM's establishment of 24 Solar Energy Study Areas (SESAs) on public lands across the U.S. Southwest by helping to ensure that the most advanced CSP technologies are ready for commercial deployment.
The hope is that this research will help lower the costs associated with solar energy, speed up innovation, and contribute to a clean energy economy. The site is also meant to be a test for other potential solar projects near military sites throughout the southwestern U.S. Looking forward to more!
