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Sen. Harry Reid speaks during a press conference announcing the first-ever hybrid geothermal-solar power plant during the National Clean Energy Summit Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011, at the Aria Convention Center.
By Karoun Demirjian (contact) 
Published Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011 | 9:51 a.m.
Updated Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011 | 12:48 p.m.
Sun Archives
Sen. Harry Reid kicked off the fourth annual clean energy conference today by announcing the inauguration of the first-ever hybrid geothermal and solar plant, combining two of Nevada’s homegrown forms of renewable energy in a single power-generating project.
The plant, which will be situated at the existing Stillwater Geothermal Plant about 75 miles outside of Reno, will generate an additional 24 megawatts of power and create about 150 installation jobs, according to Enel Green Power North America President Francesco Venturini.
Enel Green Power, which is partnering with Nevada-based Bombard Renewable Energy to build the project, already runs the Stillwater geothermal facility.
“Enel Green Power has wisely and successfully married two clean renewable energy resources that Nevada has in vast abundance,” Reid said. “I hope we will see more of these integrated projects.”
The plant is fairly small compared to some of the more recent solar projects to come online. The solar energy storage facility in Tonopah, for example, is an 110-megawatt project that’s expected to create about 600 jobs.
The fusion of solar and geothermal technology is expected to serve the same kind of purpose: geothermal will provide the continuous stream of energy, while the solar project is expected to augment the peak capability of the Stillwater facility. The energy produced at the hybrid facility will be sold to NV Energy.
Venturini said he expected the Stillwater expansion project to be completed in one year.
Yes, projects like these are good. But why is it being done with foreign companies like Enel? What incentives were offered to them?
And what benefit is this to Nevada rate payers?
1) The resource profits gained in Nevada, are sold to Nevada Energy.
2) Rate payers pay for any lost income due to energy savings due to the partnership of our Legislature with Nevada Energy.
Wonderful
Comment removed by moderator. Name Calling
If there is a plus side to this, maybe some of the NV Energy workers losing their jobs due to smart meter installation can find jobs at these power plants.
alanram: the cover photo depicts evil incarnate. Has anyone ever seen his shadow or reflection? Somewhere, someone connected is making money off of these transactions.
Next time I hear any TEA-nuts question Senator Reid's ability to "bring home the bacon" for Nevada, I'm bringing them here... And to all the other renewable energy projects he's been bringing to Nevada. This is how we'll create jobs and get out of this recession.
And by the way, where were/are Dean Heller, Joe Heck, and Mark Amodei? Are they still too busy collecting campaign contributions from Big Oil to even bother pretending to care about job creation in Nevada?
Davey: good luck with them thar green jobs which will only be around as long as they're funded by stupid or corrupt government.
What this article fails to mention is how much the taxpayers are subsidizing this project?
Taking tax dollars to pay for this and then stating it creates jobs is the same as taking water from the deep end of the pool dumping it in the shallow end and claiming you're filling the pool up. It's just transferring tax dollars from one person to another.
When I hear politicians claim that welfare and unemployment benefits are good for the economy I have to laugh. If that were the case everybody should quit their jobs, go on welfare and unemployment and we can be out of this recession in 2 months.
Creating jobs means new or expanded employment in the private sector where no tax dollars are being utilized.
Simple as that.
We subsidized the Iraq war to a tune of at least $2 trillion in immediate costs and another $2 trillion in long term obligations, like equipment replacement, health care and interest on the debt created. The job numbers created by Iraq are negative: the highest unemployment in 70 years.
To provide tax loopholes, shelters and reductions for the wealthy, Bush took America into debt by the trillions. We, or maybe you will be paying interest on that debt for at least the next 30 years. What jobs did that produce? Negative again - the largest unemployment and greatest recession in 70 years.
What did de-regulation due for the banking industry? It made many executives rich, crashed home equity and set a world record for bank failures. No wonder the world wants to get off the dollar standard.
When I hear how Iraq created security for America and how tax breaks for the wealthy will stimulate the economy, and that de-regulation allowed the financial industry to work more efficiently, I have to laugh. No, I have to sit down first, then laugh.
It's about time that we rebuild America using renewable energy as a component. Only the Government can do this because private industry is hoarding cash while waiting for the next election.
As a result of the Government participating in funding the first Transcontinental Rail Road, big money jumped in to build the second, and from there, the greatest railway system in the world was built. It's time to learn from past successes and not repeat past failures.
Correct SunJon..there seems to be plenty of money for Republican stupidity, but zero for creating secure, clean energy in the US.
YES, very good news.
Thank you Harry Reid.
Great for Nevada.
1 out of every 500,000 people are trained to work on specialized plants like this one.
This is going to do wonders for all the school teachers, fire fighters, policemen and women and all the other qualified humans that are out of work.
This is no justice to the majority of people with good skills that are unemployed.
It would be nice to see what kind of money is being spent on building this power plant. What is the expected life of it and how much per/kw are they going to charge once it's online and running.
My guess is that it's going to costs ratepayers more than other renewable sources like hydro and wind.
Expensive, boutique energy. Hopefully the taxpayers will step up or else the ratepayers will be on the hook.