Economic Impact

Arizona’s solar climate will provide considerable economic opportunities for the communities in which solar plants are located, as well as the entire state.

The Solana Generating Station will require large capital investments for construction of the solar collector field, the thermal energy storage and the electric generating equipment.  Providing that much energy requires considerable quantities of pipe, glass and steel. If connected end to end, Solana's receiver pipes would stretch about 270 miles - almost the distance from Phoenix to Las Vegas, Nevada. Laid flat, Solana's mirrors would cover 36 football fields. Finally, constructing Solana will require about 80,000 tons of steel - enough to build a second Golden Gate Bridge.  In addition, unlike fossil fuel power plants, Solana will have relatively low operating costs because there is no “fuel” to purchase.

Environmental benefits  
Employment opportunities  |  Other revenue streams
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