HENDERSON, NV, May 15, 2010 -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today presided over a ceremony to "flip the switch" at the first Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) solar energy plant owned and operated by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) at its River Mountains Water Treatment Facility. Amonix, a leading supplier of CPV solar systems for sunny and dry climates, designed and manufactured the plant. Other dignitaries present included Jared Blumenfeld, Region 9 Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, Shari Buck, Chair of SNWA Board of Directors and Mayor of North Las Vegas, and executives of SNWA, TWC Construction, and Amonix.
At the event, Amonix announced that plans to use $5.9 million of a $9.5 million investment tax credit from the Recovery Act's Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit awarded in 2010 to establish a new manufacturing facility in Southern Nevada are well underway, and that the facility will be open by the end of 2010. When fully operational, the facility will have an annual production capacity of 150 MW of CPV solar systems and employ 278 people in management, technical and production jobs.
"I applaud Amonix for taking advantage of a tax credit in the Recovery Act to build a new manufacturing plant in Southern Nevada and to put nearly 300 Nevadans to work," Senator Reid said. "This type of project is just what we need in Nevada. Not only will the new solar facility create permanent green jobs, but it further cements Nevada's role as the leader in clean energy production. Amonix's solar technology is now being put to work treating water at SNWA's River Mountains facility, and soon the company will create even more jobs here when it starts manufacturing this technology right here in Southern Nevada."
Brian Robertson, CEO of Amonix said, "We commend the Southern Nevada Water Authority's commitment and vision in treating clean water with clean, reliable CPV solar. In addition, we recognize Senator Reid's active role in passing the Recovery Act. It is bringing new jobs to Nevada while modernizing our electric grid to enhance the security and reliability of our country's energy infrastructure."
Charged with meeting the Las Vegas region's growing demand for water with minimal impact on the sensitive desert environment at its River Mountains facility, SNWA partnered with Amonix to install a CPV solar plant capable of producing 308 kW (DC) of clean, renewable power -- enough to power 50 medium-sized Las Vegas homes annually. The plant was completed in July 2009 and after a 10-month provisional period is now fully operational and performing as predicted.
The Amonix system is the company's third installation in Nevada -- first on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, second at the NV Energy Edward W. Clark Generating Station, and today at SNWA's River Mountains facility.
"In addition to generating clean renewable energy, our new CPV solar plant will displace 500 tons of CO2 emissions and save half a million gallons of water each year compared to traditional power generation in Southern Nevada," said Pat Mulroy, General Manager of SNWA. "The CPV solar plant uses no water in operation and does not require land grading or special treatment of the site -- underscoring our commitment providing clean water in sustainable ways and with minimal impact on the local natural environment."
About SNWA
The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) is a cooperative agency formed in 1991 to address Southern Nevada's unique water needs on a regional basis. SNWA is governed by a seven-member agency comprised of representatives from each of its member organizations. These member agencies are: Big Bend Water District, Boulder City, Clark County Water Reclamation District, Henderson, Las Vegas, Las Vegas Valley Water District, and North Las Vegas. The member agencies provide water and/or wastewater services to Southern Nevada. For more information, visit http://www.snwa.com.
About Amonix
Amonix is the recognized leader in designing and manufacturing concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar power systems that require less water, use land better, and produce more energy per acre than any other solar technology. With the longest track record of real-world CPV deployments in the industry, Amonix is proven to be the best choice for solar power systems in sunny and dry climates. Amonix is headquartered in Seal Beach, California. For more information, visit http://www.amonix.com.
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