The world's largest solar plant is open and on-line in the California desert. The 550-megawatt solar project is located in Desert Center, California, adjacent to the Joshua Tree National Park. Constructed by First Solar, it cranks-out enough electricity to power 160,000 average homes. The project received a federal loan of $1.5 billion with critics posting reminders of the U.S. Interior Department's $535 million loan guarantee for Solyndra, a solar panel manufacturer that went bankrupt in 2011. The solar power will be distributed to Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric Company. An additional 17 solar photovoltaic projects are planned as there are no traditional solar farms larger than 100 megawatts in the United States.