The 392 megawatt three-tower concentrating solar plant at Ivanpah Dry Lake in the Mojave Desert, in commercial operation from January 2014, when it was the largest concentrated solar facility in the world. In January 2025 PG&E agreed to end two of its three power purchase agreements, and Units 1 and 3 are slated to cease operating in 2026 pending California regulatory approval, while Unit 2 keeps its Southern California Edison contract; output that ran well below nameplate, against ever cheaper photovoltaics, is the story of its economics.
Facts
Facility TypeConcentrated solar plant 1 LocationIvanpah Dry Lake, Mojave Desert, California, United States 2 Capacity (MW)Nameplate; expected generation was about 940,000 MWh a year, far below continuous full output. Commissioned Year Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Uses Source
Sources
1. United States Department of Energy Official Site
US Department of EnergyLoan Programs Office, Ivanpah, Project SummaryQuote, Loan Programs Office, Ivanpah, Project Summary
It started commercial operations in January 2014
1. United States Department of Energy Official Site
US Department of EnergyLoan Programs Office, Ivanpah, Climate BenefitQuote, Loan Programs Office, Ivanpah, Climate Benefit
expected to generate 940,000 megawatt-hours of clean energy per year
2. Renewable Energy World
Clarion EventsIvanpah shutdown feature, introductionQuote, Ivanpah shutdown feature, introduction
the 392-megawatt (MW) Mojave Desert project was the world's largest concentrated solar power (CSP) facility
2. Renewable Energy World
Clarion EventsAssociated With: Concentrated Solar Power, Ivanpah shutdown feature, next stepsQuote, Associated With: Concentrated Solar Power, Ivanpah shutdown feature, next steps
Unit 2 has a PPA with another major California utility, Southern California Edison, and is expected to remain in service.
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