by Greg Walcher, E&E Legal Senior Policy Fellow
The Daily Sentinel
A decade ago, three giant companies took advantage of federal incentives to build the world’s largest solar power plant in the Mojave Desert, known as Ivanpah.
It was “the wave of the future,” a new technology that focuses 300,000 computer-controlled mirrors to reflect solar rays onto three boiler towers, each the height of a 40-story building. The water inside is heated to produce steam that can generate 392 megawatts, enough electricity to power 140,000 homes. Supposed to last 30 years or more, the technology is already considered obsolete. Obama administration loan guarantees financed three-fourths of the $2.2 billion cost, making it a safe investment for the three owners — Google, BrightSource Energy, and NRG Energy.
I wrote a column at the time about the Ivanpah facility “frying birds in midair” because the extreme light it generates draws millions of insects, which in turn draws millions of birds. The effect of focusing the sun’s rays is the same as when a schoolboy focuses a magnifying glass on ants, and birds are literally burned in midair. Solar advocates made fun of the accusation at the time, though it is widely acknowledged today. The Association of Avian Veterinarians says the plant “is believed to be responsible for at least 6,000 bird deaths each year.”
Despite Ivanpah’s impact on birds, the environmental disaster is almost a distraction, considering the economic boondoggle it turned out to be. The plant does not generate the power it promised, is far less energy efficient than expected, and costs much more to maintain.
