The Solana Generating Plant is now online… with a little help from M&A

One of M&A’s clients achieved a major milestone this week: Abengoa Solar launched the world’s largest concentrating solar plant. Located near Gila Bend, the Solana Generating Station is now sending power to Arizona Public Service. APS will purchase all of the electricity produced by the solar plant through a power purchase agreement with Solana. The plant is expected to reach full capacity (280 MW, gross) in October.

Solana’s design, which features thermal energy storage, allows APS to dispatch power when consumers need it, not just when the sun is shining. The first of its kind in the U.S., this concentrating solar power plant can store heat and use it to produce electricity when demand is highest — even if that peak is hours later or at night.

M&A provided a range of services to support the Aquifer Protection Permit for this innovative facility. Our work included characterizing the regional hydrogeology to identify groundwater flow patterns and points of compliance, installing monitoring wells, collecting water quality samples, preparing parts of the APP application, and revising various planning documents.

Solana has attracted numerous investors, including (most recently) Liberty Interactive Corporation.

Click here to read an Arizona Central article about the plant.