Although Interstate 10 passes right by Desert Center, population 200, most travelers do just that—pass by. But now, once again, outside forces are changing Desert Center. The area’s abundant sunshine and nearby transmission lines have attracted solar power project developers, including the 550-megawatt Desert Sunlight Solar Farm being built by First Solar. As part of its commitment to support local communities, First Solar has dedicated a $350,000 fund to ensure Desert Center residents share in the economic benefits from the project.

First Solar has donated 130 kilowatts of its advanced thin-film photovoltaic solar panels to Kandahar University in Afghanistan to support the university's program of energy independence. Solar power will displace expensive diesel-fired generation for the campus. Here is a news story from Afghanistan with details:

Tired but satisfied volunteers caught their breath and cooled off, sitting on the lowered gate of a semi-trailer backed up to the loading dock at First Solar’s Tempe, Arizona, headquarters. It took all morning to load by hand, but the truck now held 8,675 boxes of macaroni & cheese, 3,573 cans of tuna and 1,186 jars of peanut butter – a 15,018 pound load translating to 11,552 meals.

On May 24, 2012, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation inaugurated a new 250-kilowatt (AC) solar PV power system donated by First Solar which will help power the historic Taliesin West campus in Scottsdale, Arizona. The commissioning marks the successful completion of the first phase of the Energizing Taliesin West™ initiative, a pioneering effort to transform the entire National Historic Landmark Taliesin West site into a "net zero" energy customer, producing as much energy as it consumes annually, while maintaining the historic and architectural integrity of the site. The comprehensive project, led by energy efficiency consultant Big Green Zero, is focused on the twin goals of maximizing the campus' energy efficiency through improved lighting, insulation, climate controls and other techniques while also generating renewable energy on-site.