Ivanpah Solar Plant, Once The Largest In The World, Set To Close By 2026

The Ivanpah Solar Power Plant, once the world's largest of its type, located in San Bernardino County, California, will shut operations in 2026. NRG Energy, the co-owner, has announced plans to close the mega project due to inefficiencies and competition from cheaper photovoltaic (PV) solar technology.

The Mojave Desert concentrated solar power plant began operations a decade ago and was one of the first projects in the US to provide utility-scale power to consumers. According to a statement from Pacific Gas & Electric, the company reached an agreement with the plant's owners, including NRG Energy Inc., to end their contracts with Ivanpah.

One of the main advantages of this solar technology was its capacity to store heat, allowing for energy generation at night or during cloudy days without the need for batteries.

Despite the advanced technologies, the company will go ahead with its closure plans. Jenny Chase, a solar analyst, told CNN that the technology proved finicky and never quite worked as well as intended.

“These kinds of plants are just technically really difficult to operate,” she said, adding that they face the challenges of both renewable energy sources and traditional fossil fuel plants. Maintaining several moving parts, like mirrors that must precisely track the sun and operating turbines, adds mechanical complexity to the process.

“It's really hard to get those all lined up perfectly and keep them lined up at all times,” she added.

Ivanpah uses 173,500 mirrors, called heliostats, to reflect sunlight onto boilers at the top of tall towers. The heat from the sunlight creates steam, which then spins turbines to generate electricity. Although the plant's contract was supposed to run through 2039, the closure will begin in early 2026.

The shutdown comes at a time when the current US government has halted new approvals for solar plants on federal land.