Natural gas and solar power plant awarded permit from EPA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a Clean Air Act permit for the construction and operation of the 570 MW Palmdale Hybrid Solar Power Project in California.

The permit sets limits for carbon dioxide emissions from the plant at 774 pounds per megawatt-hour of power produced.

The natural gas-fired power plant, with 50 MW of solar energy generation, is one of the first of its kind in the nation required to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Commercial operation is planned for the summer of 2013.