BrightSource Energy announced a siting committee of the California Energy Commission has issued a proposed decision recommending the approval of the company's 392 MW Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, a solar thermal power project in the High Desert region of California.

When final approval is given, and the power plant built, it will be the largest solar thermal power plant in the world. BrightSource recently received a conditional commitment from the US Department of Energy for USD 1.37 billion in loan guarantees for this project.

According to BrightSource, the Ivanpah solar project will be able to supply about 140,000 average homes with clean electricity and create more than a thousand local jobs during construction. Instead of extensive land grading and concrete padding, BrightSource Energy plans on installing the mirrors on individual poles, reducing the impact on the natural look of the surroundings to a minimum. Additionally, the facility will use air-cooling for condensing steam back into water, in a closed loop cycle, thus conserving desert water.

[source: BrightSource Energy]