New Solar Plants in the West

DESPITE its oppressive glow in much of the West, the sun has remained largely untapped as a source of electricity. The world's biggest solar farm, where more than 400,000 mirrors cover four square miles (10.3 square kilometres) of California's Mojave desert, was built in the 1980s and still churns out 354 megawatts of electricity, enough for 90,000 homes. But until recently no more large solar plants have been built, despite soaring demand.

General Motor Going Solar

FONTANA, Calif.—General Motors will place rooftop solar panels on a 300,000-square-foot service and parts warehouse in an effort to sharply reduce energy costs and pollution, the company announced Wednesday.

"The solar power array will provide about half of the electricity needed to run the facility and will feed enough extra electricity back to the grid to power over 300 California homes for a year," GM said in a statement.

When it goes online in December, the system will generate about 1.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, or about enough to power 500 homes, GM said.

It could reduce electricity costs at the facility by about 10 percent a year and eliminate 391 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the company said.

GM won't own the system but has a long-term contract to buy electricity from the array's builder and operator, Constellation Energy and Project Services of Baltimore.

United Solar Ovonic LLC of Auburn Hills, Mich., will manufacture the thin-film solar laminates.

Safeway Going Solar in California

PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Safeway Inc. (NYSE: SWY), one of the largest retail investors in renewable energy, today announced a new environmental project to power 23 California stores with renewable solar energy. The company installed solar panels atop a newly renovated Safeway Lifestyle store in Dublin, California and plans to extend the program to nearly two dozen stores as part of a broader renewable energy initiative.

Congressman Jerry McNerney joined Safeway officials on a tour of the Dublin store's rooftop solar panel array. The unit is currently generating electricity to power the 55,000-square-foot retail facility.

“I applaud Safeway for its commitment to sustainability and for being an environmental leader among California-based companies,” said Congressman