California Regulators Fight To Keep Massive Solar Boondoggle Kicking
California regulators rejected a plan to close the controversial Ivanpah solar plant on Thursday, despite federal government and private sector concerns. The massive $2.2 billion plant features three 459-foot towers and…
California regulators rejected a plan to close the controversial Ivanpah solar plant on Thursday, despite federal government and private sector concerns.
The massive $2.2 billion plant features three 459-foot towers and was set to run until 2039 before Ivanpah’s owner, Solar Partners, offered Pacific, Gas and Electric (PG&E) the opportunity to end its power purchase agreement for several units at the plant in January. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) elected Thursday to keep the units at Ivanpah going for the sake of “reliability” and meeting California’s green Energy mandates.
“The CPUC must consider other factors related to utilities’ duties to ensure safe, reliable, and affordable utility services that meet the state’s clean Energy goals,” the regulators wrote in their Thursday filing. “Uncertainty in renewables project development driven in part by changing federal policy may undermine a core assumption of current reliability assessments.”
California has stringent