A California company planning to build a large-scale solar power plant has received a Department of Energy $1.37 billion loan guarantee.

The New York Times reports that BrightSource Energy of Oakland will put in the first utility-scale solar power plant to undergo licensing in California in nearly two decades:

It would use solar thermal technology, in which mirrors concentrate sunlight to heat a fluid and generate steam. If built, it would be the largest of its kind.

“We’re not going to sit on the sidelines while other countries capture the jobs of the future — we’re committed to becoming the global leader in the clean energy economy,” Steven Chu, the energy secretary, said in a statement.

BrightSource has already signed contracts to deliver 2,600 megawatts of electricity to Pacific Gas and Electric and Southern California Edison. The plant in the Southern California desert is expected to create 1,000 construction jobs.