Ausra has officially opened the reflector production line at its first North American manufacturing and distribution center in Las Vegas. The 130,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution center will supply the reflectors, absorber tubes and other key components of the company's solar thermal power plants to the growing Southwestern solar power industry.

In November 2007, Ausra and California utility Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced a power purchase agreement for a 177-megawatt (MW) solar thermal power plant to be built in central California.

Ausra's Las Vegas manufacturing center will make solar field equipment for the PG&E project, for other power projects throughout the American Southwest and for Ausra's process steam customers, who are adopting solar thermal power to lower their fuel costs and emissions in their operations, including food processing, enhanced oil recovery and refining and pulp and paper manufacturing.

"Nevada is poised to be a leader in the clean energy revolution," said U.S. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV). "This facility will help position our state as the premiere place to invest in these new technologies. As the factory expands operations and we continue to invest in clean energy, we'll create thousands of good paying jobs and keep our outdoors pristine for future generations."