The Department of Energy has announced $20 million dollars to fund two to four projects combining solar power with existing fossil fuel plants. The hybrid power plants will use “concentrating solar power” to help generate electricity and reduce harmful air emissions. Concentrating solar power uses mirrors to focus the sun’s rays on a collector, which turns the heat into steam, powering turbines. The DOE hopes the projects will spur new innovation in solar hybrid power plants, and make the technology more affordable.
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