Drivers cruising by the corner of Eschinger and Bruceville roads just south of town might have noticed a sign announcing future development posted at the corner of a grassy field. No, it's not another housing sudivision. The rural intersection is actually the future site of a moderately-sized solar power plant.

San Francisco-based solar company Recurrent Energy plans to build a 15-megawatt photovoltaic solar energy plant on the 119-acre property, which is nestled among vineyards and pastures near the city of Elk Grove.

The plant will supply enough energy for roughly 300,000 homes, said Elizabeth Brady, site development manager for Recurrent Energy.

Though the plant will generate far more energy than panels on the roof of a business or home, it is relatively small for a utility-scale project, said Sandy Louey, a spokesperson for the California Energy Commission. The agency handles licensing for solar-thermal plants 50 megawatts and larger.

The project is one of four Recurrent Energy plans to build in the County, under contract with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). Combined, the plants will produce 70 to 80 megawatts of renewable energy to be used by utility customers in the region, Brady said.

SMUD will purchase the power generated under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement, and Recurrent Energy will operate and maintain the plant.

The clean energy produced will eliminate the need for power produced at coal-fired power plants, and reduce carbon emissions in the region by 21,000 metric tons – the equivalent of taking 4,000 cars off the road each year, Brady said.

In January, SMUD announced plans to establish 100 megawatts of renewable energy and called for proposals from the private sector, according to a SMUD press release. Recurrent Energy won the majority of the available contracts, Brady said.

A total of six solar plants are planned within Sacramento County, Gregory said. Three have been approved and the rest are pending, including the project at Eschinger and Bruceville.

Construction of the plant is expected to begin before February 2011, after Recurrent gathers the necessary permits from the County.

The project is sure to create construction,operations and maintenance jobs, although it is too early to tell how many, said Matt Small, a spokesman for Recurrent Energy.