World's Largest Solar-Thermal Plant Opens
The world’s largest solar-thermal plant opened in the United States last week, reported Talking Points Memo. The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System can generate nearly 400 megawatts of power, enough for 140,000 homes, and is situated along the Nevada-California border.
As a solar-thermal plant, Ivanpah uses 350,000 computer-controlled mirrors to reflect sunlight at boilers atop 450-foot towers. The sunlight heats water inside the boilers, creating steam, that is then used to drive turbines and generate electricity. The $2.2 billion complex is co-owned by NRG Energy Inc., Google, and BrightSource Energy, and received $1.6 billion in loans guaranteed by the U.S. Energy Department.
Ivanpah has encountered various legal and regulatory issues ranging from relocating protected tortoises to assessing the plant’s impact on Mojave milkweed and other plants. Some environmentalists are concerned that the intense heat generated by Ivanpah may kill birds flying overhead, reported the Wall Street Journal.
In 2012, the government established 17 “solar energy zones” to direct development toward land containing fewer wildlife and natural-resource obstacles. The zones stretch over 450 miles in six states: California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. Renewable energy development is increasingly important in California, which is legally required to obtain a third of its electricity from solar and other renewable sources by 2020.
The Chanler Group is actively engaged in the review and analysis of incentive-based renewable energy programs to determine potential benefits to our clients. Global energy consumption continues to increase each year and, with this increase, the demand for safe, clean, and unlimited energy is on the rise. The Federal and State governments promote this interest through a variety of financially-beneficial incentives. Our understanding of these laws allows us to guide homeowners, businesses, and/or developers through the various ways to take advantage of these incentive-based benefits. With the appreciation that renewable energy laws and regulations are constantly changing, The Chanler Group is committed to investing in its understanding and practice of this area of law.