Palo Alto, Calif.-based Ausra, a developer of utility scale solar thermal, said today it plans to build a manufacturing plant for its power systems in Las Vegas.

The 130,000-square-foot factory, which would be the first solar thermal factory in the U.S., will produce the reflectors, towers, absorber tubes, and other key components of Ausra's solar power systems.

"Ausra can fill four square miles with solar collectors every year from this one factory, enough to provide market-priced zero-pollution power to 500,000 homes," said Bob Fishman, president and CEO of Ausra.

Ausra's compact linear fresnel reflector solar technology uses the heat from the sun to create steam, which power steam turbine generators.

"With market-priced solar power, we are entering the Solar Decade, in which massive construction of solar plants will take place. We are investing now in the systems and capacity to serve that need."

In November, Ausra and California utility PG&E announced a power purchase agreement for a one square mile, 177 megawatt power plant, enough to power over 120,000 homes, to be built in central California (see PG&E, Ausra in 177MW solar thermal deal).

Ausra said its new factory will be capable of making over 700 MW of solar collectors per year. The plant is expected to begin regular operation in April 2008.