Arizona Desert to Get World's Second-Tallest Structure

Giant solar tower will start going up next year
By G. Hudak,  Newser User
Posted Jul 28, 2011 1:37 PM CDT Posted Jul 28, 2011 1:37 PM CDT
Promoted on Newser Jul 28, 2011 7:30 PM CDT

It's going to be a strange sight to be sure: America's tallest tower will be smack dab in the middle of the deserts of the Southwest, and for good reason. This skyscraper will not be an office building, but a massive solar energy complex, reports KNXV-TV. The tower, to be twice as tall as the Empire State Building and just short of the world's tallest building in Dubai, will generate power for more than 150,000 homes around La Paz County, Arizona.

With a price tag around $750 million, investment groups around the world are probing the sunniest spots on Earth to build mega structures like these in the hopes of big, long period pay offs in the not-so-distant future. This one comes from Australia's EnviroMission, which plans to break ground next year. (More Arizona stories.)

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