and Caudete to Albacete. North-East part Alhorines remained under the control of Ontinyent until 5 August 1927, when it was separated to form a new municipality. This was officially called Fontanars dels Alforins since 1992. Solar power project A solar thermal power plant project was formally launched in November 2006 in the valley. It was due to come into operation in September 2013 beside the Villena prison at the southern end of the valley in the Villena municipality. The plant covers and is located between the A-31, N-344 and CV-656 roads. Heat is focused by parabolic mirrors onto a central tower, and used to drive steam turbines. The plant's installed capacity is 50 MW with an annual output of 110,000 MWh. This provides power to 40,000–50,000 people, and replaces emission into the atmosphere of about 40,000 tons of CO2 each year. The project involved an investment of 240 million euros, and was expected to generate 750 new jobs, 300 directly and 450 indirectly. The environmental impact assessment for the power plant was approved before all the official objections had been addressed. The question of water use does not seem to have been raised. The plant would consume about annually. There were conflicts between the company building the power plant and the Salvatierra collective of Villena, but they seemed to have ended with the draft environmental plan developed by Enestar. This included rehabilitating the old Ermita-Casa Conejo and providing an educational facility to provide information on renewable energy and the environment. Four nature routes would also be established. Construction began in May 2012. Conservation In 1997 the Department of Environment began a project to reintroduce the lesser kestrel, a small raptor that had been made locally extinct due to human action. In February 2014 the Department of the Environment stated it was adding to an existing wildlife reserve in the valley. Both were established in response to construction of the solar-thermal power plant. The aim was to ensure the survival of the unusual grassland ecosystem of Valencia that is home to the lesser kestrel, Montagu's harrier and little bustard. Changes to land use are prohibited within the reservation, as is the use of pesticides or other harmful chemicals. References Citations Sources Further reading Geography of the Province of Albacete Geography of the Province of Alicante Geography of the Province of Valencia Valleys of Spain Landforms of Castilla–La Mancha Landforms of the