A massive Mojave Desert solar plant may shut down after just 11 years

Once the world’s largest solar-thermal power plant, California’s Ivanpah facility is on track for closure as cheaper solar technologies outcompete it, while some environmentalists criticize its impact on local wildlife.

Michael R. Blood reports for The Associated Press.

In short:

Opened in 2014, the Ivanpah solar-thermal plant, also known as concentrated solar, struggles to compete with lower-cost photovoltaic solar, leading Pacific Gas & Electric to terminate its power contracts years ahead of schedule.
Environmentalists blame the plant for killing thousands of birds and tortoises and destroying fragile desert habitat, calling it a failed experiment in renewable energy.
If regulators approve the contract terminations, two of the plant’s three units will close in 2026, and the site may be repurposed for photovoltaic solar panels.

Key quote:

“The Ivanpah plant was a financial boondoggle and environmental disaster.”

— Julia Dowell, Sierra Club

Why this matters:

The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System was once heralded as a marvel of renewable energy — an ambitious, sprawling complex in California’s Mojave Desert that used thousands of mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto towering receivers, generating electricity without burning fossil fuels. But a decade after it began operations, Ivanpah’s struggles have come to symbolize the rapid evolution of solar technology and the financial and environmental pitfalls of large-scale renewable projects. While solar power is an essential tool in curbing fossil fuel dependence, large-scale developments must balance sustainability with practicality. As technology advances, the energy landscape continues to shift, sometimes leaving once-revolutionary projects struggling to keep up.

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