The Ivanpah Solar Power Plant, a familiar sight to those driving along Interstate 15 between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, is set to partially shut down, according to its operators, Solar Partners.
The $2.2 billion plant in California's Mojave Desert, near Primm, Nevada, generated power mostly for Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE), in a purchase power agreement originally planned to extend through 2039.
The concentrating solar power, or CSP, plant began operating in 2014 and initially fell far short of its expected energy output. Environmentalists have also long argued it is a disturbance in the landscape. It burns natural gas each morning to power up, and it is responsible for the regular deaths of birds and bats, as well as potentially disrupting the habitat of desert tortoises.
A 2023 report from the Association of Avian Veterinarians estimated the plant is responsible for the deaths of at least 6,000 birds each year. Near the towers, temperatures can reach 1,000 degrees, rapidly incinerating the birds, designated by the plant in this instance as “streamers.”
In 2023, PG&E sought to restructure or terminate its end of the deal, citing cost to customers. On Jan. 14, Ivanpah Solar’s owners and the DOE agreed to terminate the energy company’s agreement, a news release from NRG, the project's largest investor, stated. The release cited the industry’s move to photovoltaics, a cheaper (and thus more popular) alternative to CSP, as a reason for the termination.
The plant’s operators will begin closing units in early 2026. “Once deactivated the units will be decommissioned, providing an opportunity for the site to potentially be repurposed for renewable [solar photovoltaics] energy production,” the statement read.
NRG Energy, BrightSource Energy, and Google own Ivanpah Solar.
