Solar Thermal Power Scaled Back to Protect Tortoise

Solar development plans scaled back to protect the desert tortoise

The solar debates in the Mojave Desert have pitted green vs. green.  Proponents of renewable energy look at the vast expanse of land in sunny Southern California as a great location to generate solar electricity.  But concerns over the fragile habitat of the endangered desert tortoise have had some people seeing more red than green.  The clash in California appeared to be at an impasse.

But this week, Brightsource Energy announced it would scale back its proposed solar thermal power plant in order to protect the desert tortoise.  The move comes in response… and in an effort to compromise with… the environmental groups who have voiced concerns over the impact of utility scale solar projects in the region.

Instead of a three-phase project that would have covered five square miles of the Mojave Desert and produced 400 megawatts (MW) of solar electricity, Brightsource will significantly reduce the size of the planned Ivanpah solar power plant.  Overall area of the plant will be cut down by 12%, the third phase will be reduced by 23%, and only one power tower, instead of the five towers originally planned, will be constructed.

For an idea of the scope and scale of a solar thermal power plant, consider this video of a similar Brightsource Energy plant:

With respect to Brightsource Energy’s proposed plant in the Mojave Desert, the overall amount of the reduction is not as important as the location of the cut backs.  Specifically, the announced changes will carve out specific sections of land that would have required a significant amount of grading.  Now, the desert tortoise will not lose important desert flora and fauna, rocks and natural water features on which it relies for its habitat.

Defenders of Wildlife estimate that the population of the desert tortoise has decreased 90% in the last 50 years.  Many believe that there are less than 100,000 of the creatures alive today:

The reduction in size and scope of the Ivanpah solar thermal plant is probably not the last.  Developers of concentrated solar power projects have been considering and proposing projects that can be sited closer to the urban areas that demand electricity in order to minimize environmental impacts… and delays in permitting.

As environmental pressures mount from a number of different directions, the balancing act of all concerns may become more challenging.  Utility scale solar requires a great amount of land, but can efficiently power thousands of customers.  Greater numbers of smaller plants would be required, but perhaps at a savings with respect to the environmental cost.

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Tags: brightsource energy, concentrated solar power, csp, endangered desert tortiose, ivanpah, mojave desert, solar thermal, solar thermal power plant, utility scale solar