World's largest solar project will power 1 million homes in Nevada

Soon, California-based energy company SolarReserve will begin construction on the largest concentrated solar plant (CSP) in the world.

The production is planned to begin in Nevada, will cost $5 billion and is expected to generate between 1,500 and 2,000 megawatts of power, enough to power about 1 million homes.

"It's a big project," says CEO Kevin Smith. "It's an ambitious project."

"Big" and "ambitions" are two good words to describe the undertaking, though the CSPs are notably awesome.  They function by placing a huge array of mirrors, collecting sunlight and focusing it into one of many central towers filled with salt.  The salt is melted and remains extremely hot; it is used to boil water and produce steam which turns turbines to generate electricity.

"It's really the ability to provide renewable energy that's available on demand 24 hours a day," Smith told NPR, explaining how the plant continues to create electricity at night.

Currently, SolarReserve is running the 110-megawatt Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Plant, near the location.  It has been powering about 75,000 Nevada homes.

The new plant is expected to have 100,000 mirrors focused on 10 towers.

It's going to be huge.