This was reported back on February 5, 2025, but for some reason was in the news again this past week. Perhaps it was the Andy Hall article published in AS two days ago. Ivanpah really was an environmental disaster. Remember when CLR was fined for one dead migratory bird found in a waste oil pit? And I think they could have made it a criminal offense, but I've long since forgotten. Don't even get me started.
Beyond technical hurdles, Ivanpah also faced significant environmental concerns. While solar energy is generally considered clean, the plant’s intense light reflection created an unexpected hazard for wildlife. The glare from the mirrors attracted insects, which in turn drew birds into the concentrated solar beams, leading to thousands of avian fatalities annually.
Conservationists labeled Ivanpah a death trap for birds, with reports estimating that up to 6,000 birds per year were fatally scorched by the facility’s powerful solar flux.
However, the final blow to Ivanpah wasn’t its engineering or environmental impact—it was the rapid evolution of the solar market.
The rise of photovoltaic solar panels, which are cheaper to install and maintain, made Ivanpah’s solar thermal technology economically uncompetitive. Additionally, advancements in energy storage allowed photovoltaic systems to generate power even at night, eliminating one of Ivanpah’s key advantages.
As a result, Ivanpah is scheduled to shut down in 2026, marking the end of an ambitious but ultimately unsustainable project. Plans are already underway to develop new solar initiatives in the area, including the construction of a solar park to replace the facility.
Ivanpah to close two of three units well ahead of schedule.
For more on Ivanpah, search for "Ivanpah" on the blog. IYKYK.
This was from February 5, 2025:
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Solar
Ivanpah: not on my bingo card today. Scheduled to close in 2039 -- about fifteen years from now-- two of three solar farms are to be closed immediately and the operator is looking to close the third of three units.
And this has nothing to do with any executive order by Trump.
Even the Sierra Club didn't like this project.
Abject failure. Solar farms are expected to last forever -- after all,
they're cheap and the fuel source is free. Oil wells last longer than
this. My hunch: the depreciation / tax credits expired. Time to initiate
a new farm with new depreciation, tax credits, tax incentives, subsidies from US taxpayers. .
- click here for all blog posts in which Ivanpah was discussed over the past eleven years.
- this was from many years ago, about the time I was becoming quite bored with the whole subject:
- It appears we now have a poster child for solar farms: Ivanpah. See these links:
- Ivanpah, the tortoises -- October 10, 2010
- Ivanpah -- February 13, 2014
- Ivanpah -- February 14, 2014
- Ivanpah -- October 10, 2014
- Ivanpah -- November 11, 2014
- Ivanpah -- November 17, 2014
- Ivanpah -- November 24, 2014
- Ivanpah -- December 29, 2014
- Ivanpah -- October 19, 2015
- Ivanpah -- March 19, 2016
- Ivanpah -- forbearance agreements are confidential -- March 30, 2016
- Ivanpah -- feels the burn -- May 22, 2016
- Ivanpah -- CFC fries 6,000 birds yearly -- September 2, 2016
