Dunes are visible from Highway 95 a few miles north of
Tonopah. This small dune complex is
often deserted. Mostly used by local riders. There are no signs, and the area
feels very remote. Winter temperatures can be quite cold.
The dunes have been designated a Special Recreation Management
Area (SMRA) by the BLM.
Elevation - 5032 ft.
3,000 acres
From Tonopah (junction of Hwy 95 and Hwy
6):
North on Highway 95 from Tonopah towards
Hawthorne for 4.6 miles. Turn right on Pole Line Rd.
Go north for about 9 miles and turn right on dirt road leading to the
dunes. The camping area is 2 miles
in, next to the first large crescent-shaped dune.
Tonopah Solar Energy, LLC, (TSE) an affiliate of
SolarReserve, LLC, is
the developer of the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project. The project is
located northwest of Tonopah, Nevada, in Nye County with a nominal net
generating capacity of 110 megawatts (MW). When completed, Tonopah Solar
Energy’s facility will supply approximately 500,000 megawatt hours annually
of clean, reliable electricity – enough to power up to 75,000 homes during
peak electricity periods utilizing its innovative energy storage
capabilities.
The Cresent Dunes Solar Energy Project will utilize SolarReserve's
concentrating solar power (CSP) technology, with a central receiver tower
and the leading integrated energy storage technology that was developed by
Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (UTC).
Construction at the plant began in August of 2011, and the plant is expected
to be in operation by January 2014.
The project will have a large circular field of mirrors
(heliostats). At the center of the field will be a tall, central receiver
tower and the power block. The tall tower increases the efficiency of the
plant and ensures that the large array of heliostats can focus the solar
energy onto the receiver mounted on top of the tower.
The project will cover approximately 1600 acres, right next
to Crescent Dunes.
US Department of Interior Approves Nevada Solar Power Project -
December 21, 2010
