About 76,000 homes north of Los Angeles will be powered by a photovoltaic plant approved by county supervisors, according to published reports.

Rosamond Solar in Antelope Valley will generate as much as 200 megawatts at its facility 90 miles north of Los Angeles. Sempra Energy of Southern California anticipates beginning work on the project in 2012 and finishing it in 2013. Building the facility will create as many as 300 construction jobs.

Sempra's solar project will be constructed on privately owned land that once was used for agricultural purposes. The company operates two facilities in Nevada, the 48 megawatt Copper Mountain Solar Project and the 10 megawatt El Dorado Solar facility.

Sempra also announced plans to operate the 600 megawatt Mesquite Solar I project in Arizona.

Rosamond Solar will employ solar-panel technology that does not require any water in order to generate electricity. On top of creating construction jobs, at least eight full-time employees will be needed to staff the facility once it's up and running.