25 February 2004 - Carrizo Plain, California - From 1983 to 1994 the largest photovoltaic (solar) array in the world was operating in California's Carrizo Plain, 150 miles north of Los Angeles, producing over 5 megawatts of electricity at its peak. The array was built in 1983 by the Atlantic Richfield oil company (ARCO) in anticipation of increasing oil prices. But the oil prices never rose as predicted and the operation was never able to sell at the ten cents a kilowatt-hour in order to turn...
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25 February 2004 - Carrizo Plain, California - From 1983 to 1994 the largest photovoltaic (solar) array in the world was operating in California's Carrizo Plain, 150 miles north of Los Angeles, producing over 5 megawatts of electricity at its peak. The array was built in 1983 by the Atlantic Richfield oil company (ARCO) in anticipation of increasing oil prices. But the oil prices never rose as predicted and the operation was never able to sell at the ten cents a kilowatt-hour in order to turn a profit so the entire facility was dismantled. Today, nothing but vast fields remain..(© 2004 Michael A. Mariant)
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