Hybrid Solar and Gas Power Plant Under Construction in California

Alternative energy specialists in California set out to make a new type of power plant which will take advantage of traditional natural gas power at night time, and let the sun and the 180,000 mirrors pointed to concentrated solar panels do the work in the daytime.Have you ever wondered what happens to a solar power plant when the sun goes down? The answer is, not much, without solar energy storage. So alternative energy specialists in California set out to make a new type of power plant which will take advantage of traditional natural gas power at night time, and let the sun and the 180,000 mirrors pointed to concentrated solar panels do the work in the daytime. The energy that this plant is expected to produce will be able to power 11,000 homes, and is expected to save 2.75 tons of greenhouse gases over 30 years. The plant is named the Martin Next Power Generation Solar Center, and is currently under construction, but expected to be completed in 2010.