Online users have made their same complaint after a $2.2 billion solar thermal plant in California is set to close after failing to meet its energy targets and not "serving its purpose".
The Ivanpah Solar Power Facility opened in 2014 and was hailed as a groundbreaking project that would position America as a leader in solar energy.
Now, a mere 12 years later, the facility, which features three 459-foot towers and 174,000 heliostats (computer-controlled mirrors), is closing more than a decade ahead of its expected lifespan.
A Financial and Environmental Disappointment
According to The New York Post, the plant was initially funded through $1.6 billion in federal loan guarantees from the Department of Energy under former President Barack Obama, with high hopes for its success.
But the ambitious project has proven to be inefficient and costly, leaving many critics to argue that it was a waste of taxpayers' money.
As news of the facility’s early closure broke, many people voiced their frustrations on social media, calling the plant a “financial disaster".
One person slammed: “It failed to generate the power it was estimated to do. Over $2B was wasted on this and it relied on natural gas to stay operational." Another echoed similar sentiments, stating: “A SCAM paid for by US Taxpayers for NOTHING."
Julia Dowell of the Sierra Club, an environmental organization, also criticized the project, calling it a "financial boondoggle and environmental disaster" in an interview with AP.
She cited its destructive impact on the Mojave Desert’s habitat, including the deaths of thousands of birds and tortoises, and went on to acknowledge the urgent need for clean energy solutions but insisted that Ivanpah’s technology was not the right choice.
“Not all renewable technologies are created equal," she said.
Outpaced by Newer, More Efficient Technologies
When Ivanpah began operations in 2014, it was the world’s largest solar power plant, and its solar thermal technology was considered cutting-edge.
The facility used mirrors to concentrate sunlight and produce heat, which was then used to generate electricity through a conventional steam turbine.
However, as time passed, newer and more efficient solar technologies emerged, making Ivanpah’s approach increasingly obsolete.
Edward Smeloff, an alternative energy consultant, explained that Ivanpah's solar thermal technology could not compete with the more efficient and cost-effective solar photovoltaic (PV) technology, which uses semiconductor materials to directly convert sunlight into electricity.
“It simply did not scale up,” Smeloff said, per The New York Post. “It’s kind of an obsolete technology [that’s] been outpaced by solar photovoltaic technology.”
Meanwhile, solar PV technology, seen on residential rooftops and in large solar farms, has advanced rapidly and is now the preferred method for generating solar power.
NRG Energy, a major investor in Ivanpah, acknowledged the plant’s shortcomings.
The company stated that while the plant was competitive when power purchase agreements were signed in 2009, advancements in solar technology have since made Ivanpah less efficient.
“When the power purchase agreements were signed in 2009, the prices were competitive, but advancements over time… have led to more efficient, cost-effective, and flexible options for producing reliable clean energy,” NRG said.
Many critics, including Steven Milloy from the Energy & Environmental Legal Institute, argue that taxpayer-funded green energy projects like Ivanpah are a waste of public funds.
“No green project relying on taxpayer subsidies has ever made any economic or environmental sense,” Milloy said. "No green project relying on taxpayer subsidies has ever made any economic or environmental sense."