The 20-year contract with Cogentrix Energy LLC is to get 30 megawatts of power from a new concentrating solar power facility to be built in the San Luis Valley.

By Ann Rascali

The announcement Monday came from Cogentrix, a solar power developer based in Charlotte, North Carolina and a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Terms were not disclosed.

The new solar power plant is believed to be the largest of its kind in the world and will cost between $140 million and $150 million to construct, according to Jef Freeman, spokesman for Cogentrix. Once up and running, the facility should generate enough power to supply 6,500 homes.

“Our focus has always been on developing quality power generation facilities that deliver reliable power to our customers,” said Tom Bonner, President of Cogentrix Energy. “We’re pleased that our Alamosa Solar Generating project continues in that tradition. We have enjoyed a long relationship with Xcel Energy with other electric generating projects on their system and are excited at the opportunity to now be in position to assist them in meeting their renewable portfolio requirements.”

Construction on the Alamosa Solar Generating project is expected to get underway in the first quarter of 2011 and will employ an average of 110 people per month during the 15-month construction period. Construction jobs will peak at 140 people at the height of construction, Freeman said.

Once operational, the power plant’s employment role will be a modest five to 10 people.

This latest move from Xcel Energy fits with its aggressive deployment of solar and wind resources to meet Colorado’s mandate of 30% of power to come from renewables by 2020.

The solar power generating facility will use concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) systems supplied by Amonix, Inc., a leader in the design and manufacture of CPV systems based in Seal Beach, California.  Amonix CPV technology uses optics and a dual-axis tracking system to focus large amounts of sunlight onto very high efficiency photovoltaic cells. As a result, CPV solar is more efficient, producing more energy per acre than any other solar technology making it well suited for utility-scale applications in sunny and dry climates. The system will produce up to 30,000 kilowatts of solar energy for the customers of Xcel Energy, providing enough electricity for approximately 6,500 homes.

Financing of the 225-acre plant has yet to be completed. Freeman says Cogentrix is seeking a combination of public and private financing and does not anticipate any problems securing the financial support. The company has already applied for loan guarantees from the U.S. Department of Energy for the project.

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