Article Courtesy of the Las Cruces Sun-News

By the end of the year, California-based eSolar hopes to begin construction on a solar power plant near the Mexican border that will include 500,000 mirrors and is scheduled to provide power to El Paso Electric Co. for 20 years. The plant should be ready by 2012.

That was the news from Jim Shandalov, eSolar’s vice president of business development. Shandalov spoke Friday at the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance annual appreciation luncheon at Hotel Encanto.

“It’s the power tower technology that will take sunlight from the sky,” Shandalov said.

The power plant will use the mirrors to reflect sunlight onto towers where water will be heated and produce steam that will then be used to turn turbines.

More than 100 people were on hand for the luncheon that also featured the unveiling of a new branding campaign for MVEDA. The economic development organization has a new logo and a revamped Web site.

“We do compete nationally and to compete we needed to raise our game,” Davin Lopez, MVEDA president and CEO, said.

The luncheon takes place annually so MVEDA can say “thanks” to its partners in the community