Saturday 25/10/2008 Page: 4
New-generation solar technology created in Australia will drive "a solar explosion" across California, the state's Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, says. "Today, we celebrate clean energy and new jobs," Mr Schwarzenegger told a crowd at this week's launch of the biggest solar thermal energy plant built in the United States.The 5-megawatt plant, which will power more than 3500 homes, was built by Ausra, a company established last year by former Sydney University solar research pioneer Professor David Mills. "I love days like this because we are celebrating something great. I love to see good up-beat stories," Mr Schwarzenegger said, before officially launching the solar energy station by flicking a switch to turn a row of mirrors towards the sun.
The launch has been a vindication of optimists and innovation for Professor Mills, who left Australia in February last year after failing to attract support from the Howard government for his world-first solar thermal technology. Californian venture capitalist Vinod Khosla-who trade his fortune in the IT industry - saw the technology's potential to provide lowcost green energy and provided backing to commercialise it. The Kimberlina solar thermal energy plant, built in Bakersfield - California's third-largest inland city uses 300-metre rows of mirrors to track the sun, reflecting solar heat on to boiler tubes to produce steam which powers a turbine.
Mr Schwarzenegger wants solar energy to provide at least 20 per cent of the state's power by 2010 and has created a $US2.9 billion incentive plan for homes and business to go solar. "Solar, solar, solar - that's my goal," he said, adding Ausra's new power plant was further evidence that reliable, renewable and pollution-free technology is here to stay.
The Kimberlina power plant was built in only seven months, with the steel-backed mirrors mass-produced by a factory in Las Vegas. Ausra has also signed a purchase deal with power utility Pacific Gas and Electric Company for a 177 megawatt solar thermal power plant that will generate enough electricity to power more than 120.000 homes. "Our technology is real, it works, and it's ready to power businesses," Ausra's chief executive and chairman Bob Fishman said.
"There is a reason why people across the energy industry are talking about what we're doing here today ... We're proving that solar thermal power at utility scale is cost-effective. It works." Professor Mills spent 30 years trying to establish a solar energy industry in Australia. During a visit to Australia in August, he said Australia should begin replacing older coldfired power stations with solar thermal technology. He urged the Rudd Government to (:0! II nit to big, inspirational renewable energy projects that would make Australia a global centre of clean energy expertise.
"solar thermal can provide electricity on a large scale. It can carry the power needs of our entire society, and once the investment is there, we have the resources and expertise to build solar energy plants within months." Prime Minister Kevin Rudd recently announced plans for a $100 million clean coal research institute aimed at making Australia a world hub for carbon capture and storage technology.
In a research paper published this year, Professor Mills argued solar thermal could supply more than 90 per cent of power for the US electricity grid, and also meet a 70 per cent growth in national demand as plug-in electric hybrid vehicles came on to the market. "The US could nearly eliminate our dependence on coal, oil and gas for electricity and transportation, drastically slashing global warming pollution without increasing costs for energy," he said. "solar thermal's been proved for many years, but nobody has successfully proven a coal sequestration plant."
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