- Project Owner
- NextEra™ Energy Resources LLC
- Docket Number
- 09-AFC-08
- Capacity
- 250 MW
- Location
- Riverside County
- Technology
- Solar Thermal
- Project Status
- Operational (Solar Thermal)
- Project Type
- Application for Certification
The Genesis Solar Energy Project (GSEP) is located on approximately 1,800 acres at 11995 Wiley’s Well Road, about 25 miles west of the city of Blythe, Riverside County, California. GSEP is in an undeveloped area of the Sonoran Desert on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. It is surrounded by the McCoy Mountains to the east, the Palen Mountains (including the Palen/McCoy Wilderness Area) to the north, and Ford Dry Lake, a dry lakebed, to the south. California Intersate-10 is located to the south of the project facility. The project area is otherwise undisturbed, although the area has been used in the past for grazing, for off-highway vehicle recreation, and for military training prior to WW II. GSEP was certified by the CEC in September 2010 and began commercial operation in November 2013.
GSEP consists of two independent solar thermal electric generating facilities (Units 1 and 2) with a nominal net electrical output of 125-megawatts (MW) each, for a total net electrical output of 250 MW. Electrical power is produced using steam turbine generators fed from solar steam generators. The steam generators receive heated transfer fluid from thermal equipment comprised of arrays of parabolic mirrors that collect solar energy.
The project uses air cooled condensers, a dry cooling mechanism for power plant cooling. Process water for ancillary uses, including mirror washing, is supplied from on-site groundwater wells. Project cooling water blowdown is piped to lined, on-site evaporation ponds. The interconnection is an approximately 7-mile, 230 kilovolts transmission line from the GSEP to the new (as of 2014) Southern California Edison Colorado River Sub-Station, located to the southeast across Interstate 10 approximately 7 miles from the project.
The GSEP was developed by and continues to be operated by Genesis Solar LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of NextEra™ Energy Resources LLC.
GENESIS SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT
Order Approving a Rerouted Gen-tie Line, Rerouted Natural Gas Line, and New Dedicated Substation, TN 66682, 08/15/2012, Order No. 12-0809-05, Commission approval of rerouting gen-tie line, a rerouting natural gas line, constructing of a new dedicated substation (and ring bus) adjacent to the Colorado River Substation, and amending air quality conditions resulting from the use of new equipment.
Notice of Determination for Approval to Store Spare Main Transformer on Site, TN 210226, 02/08/2016, Staff approval to store a main GSU on site to serve as a spare in the event of malfunction or failure of the primary transformer.
Notice of Determination for Approval to Allow Storage of Gas Cylinders in Common Area, TN 213690, 09/16/2016, Staff approval to install a cement pad, with shade covering, to accommodate the storage of 12 cylinders each of acetylene, argon, nitrogen, and oxygen.
Attention: Non-hypertext items above will need to be requested from the Compliance Project Manager, along with the document TN number, if provided above.
Power Plant Certification and Exemption Processes
The CEC has the exclusive authority to certify all thermal power plants 50 megawatts (MW) and larger and related facilities proposed for construction in California. The Application for Certification (AFC) process is a certified regulatory program under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). As a certified regulatory program, the CEC does not prepare environmental impact reports (EIRs) in an AFC proceeding, but instead prepares environmental assessment documents that are functionally equivalent to EIRs. A certificate issued by the CEC is in lieu of any permit, certificate, or similar document otherwise required by any state, local or regional agency, or federal agency to the extent permitted by federal law, and supersedes any applicable statute, ordinance, or regulation of any state, local, or regional agency, or federal agency to the extent permitted by federal law.
Original Proceeding
e-Commenting has been closed. Please submit your comments in compliance proceeding above.
Contacts
Project Manager
Anwar Ali
CME@energy.ca.gov
(Please enter project name in the email subject line)
916-698-7498
Public Participation Questions
Public Advisor
publicadvisor@energy.ca.gov
916-269-9595
Media Inquiries
Media & Public Communications Office
mediaoffice@energy.ca.gov
916-654-4989