Ivanpah Solar Plant Closure Debate

Ivanpah, the large concentrating solar power plant in the Mojave Desert, is at the center of a late-life dispute over economics, reliability, and environmental harm.

Utilities have sought to exit long-term contracts after the plant underperformed and regulators have questioned the shutdown terms. At the same time, the facility remains associated with bird mortality, startup gas use, and debate over whether a thermal-storage retrofit could make it viable.