The California Energy Commission today (Sept. 15) gave the state’s final approval to the Blythe Solar Power Plant, which at 1,000 megawatts (MWs) would be the world’s largest solar plant. In fact, each the four 250 MW solar thermal plants that will be built for the plant dwarf almost all operational solar projects, save the nine-plant SEGS installation in California. And construction could begin before 2010 is over.

The commission gave the project unanimous approval. Commission spokesperson Sandy Louey said the decision today is “the last step in the California” approval process.

“[The Blythe project] is the single largest solar project that is coming through us [this year],” she said.

Overall, she said, this is the third of nine gigantic solar projects that the commission has approved. The other two are the Beacon Solar Energy Project and the Abengoa Solar Mojave Project. Three more, the Genesis Solar Energy Project, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System Project, and the Imperial Valley Solar project are up for hearings before the end of September, Louey said.

The three remaining projects are still under review, she explained. In all, the nine projects would produce more than 4,300 MWs of solar-powered electricity, and could create more than 8,000 construction jobs and more than 1,000 long-term positions.

There remains one step before Solar Trust of America’s subsidiary, Solar Millennium, LLC, can break ground on the project, final Bureau of Land Management (BLM) right-of-way approval. The commission said BLM is expected to make a decision before the end of October.

The Blythe site is in Riverside County, slightly north of Interstate 10 and eight miles west of Blythe. Solar Trust requested a right-of-way authorization for Blythe from the BLM for 9,400 acres.

In a press release, Solar Trust said it expected the approval this fall. BLM’s final Environmental Impact Statement, which was released August 20, said that the project would not have a detrimental impact on the environment. The BLM will accept public comment until Sept. 18 and following that will hold a hearing on the proposal before making a final decision.

Solar Trust said that Blythe, when completed, will “power more than 300,000 homes annually.” It added that “construction of the first two Blythe power plants is expected to begin by the end of the year.”

Solar Trust did not respond to a request for comment by the time this posted.