Technology Jobs in Phoenix from Solar Project

Many new technology jobs in Phoenix will be created by an upcoming solar project.

President Barack Obama recently announced that the U.S. Department of Energy will award $2 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to two solar companies in an effort to create thousands of new jobs.

A portion of the funding will be given to Abengoa Solar to construct one of the world's largest solar power plants in Arizona. Abound Solar also will receive funding to build two new factories in Colorado and Indiana.

Abengoa Solar will receive $1.45 billion for the Solana project, a 250-megawatt concentrating solar power plant near Gilla Bend, which is about 70 miles from Phoenix. The company also is planning a solar mirror manufacturing plant in Surprise.

The projects are expected to create thousands of temporary construction jobs and many new permanent positions at the plants themselves, according to an article by BrighterEnergy.org.

"After years of watching companies build things and create jobs overseas, it's good news that we've attracted a company to our shores to build a plant and create jobs right here in America," Obama said.

"In the short term, construction will create approximately 1,600 jobs in Arizona," he continued. "What's more, over 70 percent of the components and products used in construction will be manufactured in the USA, boosting jobs and communities in states up and down the supply chain."

The main project will use solar collectors to focus solar energy on a heat transfer fluid that will then go through a generator to produce enough electricity for about 70,000 homes. The project will use molten salt as a heat transfer fluid, which will allow for six hours of storage capacity.

The Solana project is expected to save 475,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions when compared to a natural gas power station. Many local, county and state authorities have already granted permits for the project, which also has a 30-year power purchase agreement with APS.