Although the Californian solar plants have generated billions of kilowatt hours of electricity for the past two decades, the Nevada Solar One plant will use new technologies to capture even more energy from the sun.

Not to be outdone, the Californians are to meet the daytime electricity needs of 300,000 homes by building an even larger plant which will cover four square miles of the Mojave Desert near Victorville, California and use 20,000 solar dishes.

High energy prices and volatile world markets have triggered increased interest in solar energy.

Solar energy is considered 'green' because they produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions, which scientists cite as a contributing factor to climate change.

For more information on solar power plant projects around the world.

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