Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) today announced plans for one of the world’s largest solar facilities – a 280-megawatt (MW) concentrating solar power (CSP) plant to be built 70 miles southwest of Phoenix, near Gila Bend, Ariz

The Solana Generating Station will produce enough energy to serve 70,000 APS customers when operating at full capacity

to provide renewable energy beginning in 2011

will provide APS with more solar electricity per customer than any utility in the U.S.

concentrating solar power uses the sun’s heat

Parabolic mirrors track the sun and focus solar energy on a heat transfer fluid

the liquid converts water into steam, which turns the plant’s turbines to create electricity

allows the plant to produce more energy for customers than a traditional solar power plant which only produces electricity when exposed to direct sunlight

APS is committed to making Arizona the solar capital of the world and bringing affordable renewable energy to all our customers