[Solar energy becomes more appealing as climate change concerns make "old fashioned" generation with fossil fuels more expensive. The ability of solar thermal plants to fulfill peak demand is also key, because the region currently depends on natural gas to meet peak demands.
Solar thermal is the technology behind the Cloncurry, Australia plan for a purely solar-powered town.
If solar technologies are of interest, check out the Solar 2008 National Solar Energy Conference in May.
This is an EXCERPT: read the whole article here. -Ed.]

Plant to brighten state's solar future
$1 billion facility to be among world's largest
by Ryan Randazzo

"Arizona's solar-power supply is about to get a lot bigger.

"A solar-energy plant planned near Gila Bend will be among the world's largest when it opens in 2011, Arizona Public Service Co. said Wednesday. APS will buy all the electricity from the plant to supply its 1.1 million customers.

"As environmental concerns and rising costs affect traditional fuel sources, solar likely will be a bigger part of the mix of power supplies that feed the state's energy needs.

"At 280 megawatts, enough to power at least 70,000 households, the plant will make even more energy than a similar facility announced in December."

"The plant also will use molten salt to store heat and continue generating electricity for as long as six hours after the sun sets. That's key in Arizona, where residents use the most electricity from 5 to 6 p.m., when the sun is low in the sky and common solar panels struggle to generate electricity."

"Gov. Janet Napolitano... has promoted alternative energy through her Climate Change Advisory Group and said that projects such as Solana bring economic opportunity.

"Solana alone could create 1,500 construction jobs.

"'You can create jobs, you can put Arizona at the forefront of new technology that can be sold around the world and you can help the environment at the same time,' she said."