![Solar Plant Kickoff U.S. Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell, left, tours the more than six square miles of the plant during the power-on ceremony at Desert Sunlight Solar Farm in Desert Center, Calif., Feb. 9, 2015.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/solar-power-california.jpg?quality=85&w=2400)
By Helen Regan
The world’s largest solar-power plant officially opened in the Riverside County desert, in California, on Monday.
The 550-megawatt Desert Sunlight Solar Farm will produce enough energy to power 160,000 California homes, reports USA Today.
Governor Jerry Brown has called on the state to increase its renewable-energy use to 50% of the total by 2030, up from 33% by 2020.
Desert Sunlight was built using a $1.5 billion federal loan-guarantee program from the U.S. Department of Energy, who says the project is expected to make a profit of $5 billion to $6 billion.
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Write to Helen Regan at helen.regan@timeasia.com