Weekly Clean Energy Roundup: November 3, 2010

California Approves 663MW Calico Solar Plant All New Fed Buildings Required LEED Gold $2.4B More for High-Speed Rail Projects Army Adopts New Sustainable Policy for Buildings, Lighting FTC Requires EnergyGuide Labels for Televisions Carbon Capture Project Seeks Carbon Storage Site State Commission Approves Fifth California Solar Plant On October 28, the California Energy Commission approved the 663.5 MW Calico Solar Project in San Bernardino County – the seventh California solar power plant in the past two months. Calico Solar, LLC, a subsidiary of Tessera Solar, is developing the project on 4,613 acres of land managed by the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management in the Mojave Desert. The project will use solar dish Stirling systems, or "SunCatchers." Construction will require a peak workforce of 700; project operation will require another 180 solar jobs. Since August, the Commission has licensed 3,492.5 MW of solar in the California desert. The Calico project is the fifth commercial solar project permitted on U.S. federal public land. It’s size was reduced from 850 MW on 8,230 acres to minimize its environmental impact, primarily on the desert tortoise. To qualify for federal stimulus funds, projects have to be approved by the Commission before December […]

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