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From this site: http://www.parkerpioneer.net/articles/2011/07/05/news/doc4e13456176ef2622908813.txt

Supervisors hear update on Solar Tower

By JOHN GUTEKUNST
Parker Pioneer
Tuesday, July 5, 2011 10:17 AM MST

Developers of a proposed ?solar tower? gave an update on the project to the La Paz County Supervisors June 22. Speaking at a work session, Christopher Davey, the president of Enviro Mission, said the company hopes to break ground for the facility late in 2012.

When completed, the facility will consist of a tower approximately 2,000 feet tall and a canopy 2,000 feet in diameter covering the ground at the base of the tower. The sun will heat the air inside the canopy, and the heated air will be sucked into the tower and rise to the top.

The rising air will be used to turn turbines to make electricity. The heated air would then be vented out the top of the tower. More air would be drawn into the system through openings at the base of the canopy.

EnviroMission, which is based in Australia, first presented the project to the supervisors in October 2009. Davey said the concept had been demonstrated and proven at a test plant in Manzanares, Spain. He said the plant they are considering for La Paz County would produce enough electricity for 150,000 homes.

Davey said the plant would not create any carbon emissions, and would not use any water to generate electricity. The estimated cost of the project is $750 million.

At the June 22 meeting, Davey introduced several others involved in the project: his associate, Lee Tanner; Richard Reese of Hensel Phelps Construction; and Adrian Smith, technical director/project management from Faithful Gould.

Hensel Phelps, an internationally recognized company based in Greeley, Colo., will be the prime contractor on the project. The structures they have built include the American embassy in Berlin, Germany and the South Terminal at Miami International Airport. They also built two structures at the University of Arizona in Tucson: the Medical Research Building and the chemistry building expansion.

Faithful Gould will be providing project management services. They are an internationally recognized management and consulting firm. They have worked on the World Trade Center redevelopment project in New York and provided cost estimating services for the Phoenix water department for their wastewater infrastructure program.

Davey told the Supervisors they were working on the logistics of getting construction equipment and materials to the site. They also need to obtain certain permits, including one from the Arizona Corporation Commission. They also needed certain facilities, such as housing for construction workers.

Davey also said they needed to move materials to the site without affecting State Route 95. He suggested a railroad easement from Parker South to the landfill.

County Administrator Dan Field said the county was under court order not to encumber the landfill until the Yakima case was finally settled. He said others were also interested in the landfill, and there would need to be a requests for proposals process.

Reese asked for information on local contractors, stating Hensel Phelps would like to use as many local resources as possible.

District 2 Supervisor John Drum said the EnviroMission had lined up customers in Southern California and Southwestern Arizona. He said the project would help both the local and regional economies.

?We need to get something moving in this economy,? he said.

District 1 Supervisor Sandy Pierce said much of the housing could be in Quartzsite or Parker South. She said was glad to see top-notch companies like Hensel Phelps were involved. In addition to providing jobs, she said the facility would also increase tourism in the area.

?I?m excited about it,? she said. ?It?s really going to be something unique.?

D.L. Wilson of the La Paz Economic Development Corporation said his agency had discussed housing with Davey and Reese. He said housing could be located in Quartzsite, Parker South or Bouse. He noted Quartzsite already has the developed infrastructure.

Wilson said LPEDC is providing information on construction and service providers. He said the developers want to hire locally if they can.

?I?m really encouraged by the progress they?ve made,? Wilson said.

For more information on the project, go to EnviroMission?s website, www.enviromission.com.