Solar Energy and Oil: Together At Last?

An oil field in California is going solar.

Green Inc reports that BrightSource Energy, a solar company, is building a plant on a Chevron field in Coalinga, one of the sunniest areas of California. The plant will use 7,000 mirrors to heat water, which will help petroleum flow more easily.

For BrightSource, which has signed contracts to supply 2,610 megawatts of solar electricity to California utilities, the Chevron deal is a chance to scale up its technology –- the company so far has only built a six-megawatt demonstration power plant in Israel -– and explore new applications for its technology.

It may seem counterintuitive to use clean energy to produce oil, a fuel not usually associated with sustainability. But building on such a large scale for Chevron gives BrightSource the opportunity to retain its competitive edge. It has the power to lead the solar field in innovation and create best practices that will set the standard for the industry. The more solar power is used, the easier it becomes for sustainable energy practices to become the norm, not the exception.

— Matthew Faraci

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