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The controversial Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, situated in California’s Mojave Desert, is set to shut down well ahead of schedule, marking another setback for Obama-era renewable energy initiatives that received substantial government backing.
The massive solar facility, which received $1.6 billion in federal loan guarantees from the Department of Energy during Barack Obama’s presidency, will cease operations 14 years earlier than initially planned. The project’s innovative design utilizes an array of mirrors to focus sunlight onto a central tower, creating steam to power turbines.
The #Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System is a concentrated solar thermal plant located in the Mojave Desert, best seen from the air as you enter Las Vegas from LAX.
After 11 years, it's planning to wind down operations. Quite a site to see and a beautiful scene to shoot pic.twitter.com/gwIUS43I9F— DCN7RLZ (@Dannysonfire) February 13, 2025
Since its inception, the facility has drawn criticism for its environmental impact, particularly its tendency to harm wildlife. Birds and other creatures have faced fatal consequences when caught in the intense reflected sunlight zones.
The installation has become a distinctive landmark for travelers on the Los Angeles-Las Vegas route, with its powerful reflected light visible across great distances, including from aircraft passing overhead.
Back in 2011, when the Department of Energy approved the substantial loan guarantees for the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility’s three thermal power plants, Ernest Moniz, who served as Energy Secretary, championed the project, stating it was an “example of how America is becoming a world leader in solar energy.”
Nice view of Ivanpah solar power plant yesterday. Apparently this blinding distraction is about to get shut down. I say good riddance – it’s so bright that during the day it’s almost painful to look out the window within 40 miles. pic.twitter.com/XdPIdzvgMQ
— Steve Giordano (@SteveNomadic) February 5, 2025
However, recent developments have cast a shadow over the project’s future. Pacific Gas & Energy has decided to terminate its agreement with Ivanpah more than a decade ahead of schedule, citing potential cost savings for customers compared to maintaining the contract through 2039.
This premature closure adds Ivanpah to a growing list of unsuccessful green energy ventures that received federal support during the Obama administration, including the notorious Solyndra case.
