Big solar projects bloom in desert

Government subsidies, policies and new technologies lead to boom in large-scale sites

By Onell R. Soto
Friday, December 3, 2010 at 12:01 a.m.

Updated 12:32 p.m. - Story corrected to say that millions of acres, not square miles, of desert will be untouched by energy development.

Large-scale solar plants are being built in the California desert for the first time in two decades — the result of federal subsidies, state policies and new technologies.

The federal government will pay for 30 percent of the cost of projects that break ground this year, in addition to providing subsidies to develop the new technology.

Meanwhile, California utilities are required to get one-third of their power from the sun, the wind and other “renewableâ€