Ausra, a developer of utility-scale solar thermal power, has recently officially opened the reflector production line of its first North American manufacturing and distribution center in Las Vegas.

The 130,000-square-foot, highly automated manufacturing and distribution center will supply the reflectors, absorber tubes, and other key components of the company's solar thermal power plants to the Southwestern solar power industry.

US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said that Nevada is poised to be a leader in the clean energy revolution.

Ausra President and CEO Robert Fishman said, "This is a crossover point for this industry. Ausra's factory is accelerating Nevada's and America's solar future by tripling worldwide manufacturing capacity, relieving the supply constraint that has slowed the industry, and continuing to drive down costs."

Fishman referred to the fact that by a 94 percent majority, the American public wants solar power development to help address rising prices for traditional energy sources.

"We're ready to respond now with a clean, reliable and cost-competitive energy choice that will be an economic development machine for the country. Herein Southern Nevada alone, developers are planning over $50 billion of future solar power plants," he said.

In November 2007, Ausra and California utility Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) had announced a power purchase agreement for a 177-megawatt solar thermal power plant to be built in central California. The power plant will generate enough electricity to power more than 120,000 homes.

The Las Vegas facility will employ a staff of 50. At full capacity, it will annually produce more than 700 megawatts of solar collectors – enough to power nearly half a million homes, and keep 1,400 construction workers employed building solar power plants.

Ausra's Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector solar technology captures the sun's power to produce electricity without pollution. Mirrors focus sunlight to heat water pipes, and the resulting steam drives a turbine to generate electricity.