Once an engineering marvel, two-thirds of this concentrated solar power plant will shut down

[hunter]

Towering 450 feet above the California desertscape, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating Facility was once, not so long ago, a monument to man’s ingenuity.

When it was dedicated in 2014 (a ceremonious occasion attended by a whos-who list that included the active Energy Secretary), the 392-megawatt (MW) Mojave Desert project was the world’s largest concentrated solar power (CSP) facility, nearly doubling the amount of solar thermal energy produced in the United States. A $1.6 billion Department of Energy-financed darling, Ivanpah Solar was among the first projects of its ilk to provide electricity to U.S. utility customers, opening a door that has since been kicked down.

And it may soon be a husk of its former self.

Operator NRG Energy plans to shut down two-thirds of the Ivanpah Solar CSP plant after Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) decided to terminate two power purchase agreements (PPAs) with the facility to save ratepayers money.

--more--

https://www.power-eng.com/news/once-an-engineering-marvel-two-thirds-of-this-concentrated-solar-power-plant-will-shut-down-after-a-california-utility-pulled-two-of-its-ppas/

This power plant was much discussed here in the E&E forum. Now it is trash.

It's unlikely the desert will be restored to something resembling it's natural state. I'm guessing it will be replaced by a photovoltaic plant that will be equally dependent on natural gas for its economic viability.

As some kind of radical environmentalist I oppose these large scale desert solar projects. We are not going to save the world by trashing it.

[Think. Again.]

1. Could you tell me more about ...

...how a photovoltaic plant will be dependent on natural gas for its economic viability?

Are you referring to the need to supply energy 24/7?

If so, could you explain why you don't think any of the various energy storage methods would work?

Thanks.

[NNadir]

2. None of this dose of reality will halt the plethora of solar thermal...

...hydrogen papers across which one comes if one looks.

Happily they are not a total waste to note and read, since they are adaptable to real clean energy, nuclear energy.

This in air bird fryer was a disaster out of the box.