Obama’s Green Vanity Project is Monumental Failure

Leave a CommentObama’s Green Vanity Project is Monumental FailureBusybodies, Environment, Government

The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in the Mojave Desert has been widely criticized as a monumental failure and a vanity project, particularly associated with the Obama administration’s push for renewable energy.

Here are some key negative points:

  • High Costs: Ivanpah was built at a cost of around $2.2 billion, with significant federal support including a $1.6 billion loan guarantee. Despite these investments, the electricity it produced was sold at rates 4-5 times higher than market rates, making it economically unsustainable.
  • Underperformance: Since its inception in 2014, Ivanpah has consistently underperformed, never reaching its promised energy output. Initial projections were for over 1 million megawatt-hours annually, but in practice, it produced significantly less, sometimes only a quarter of that.
  • Environmental Damage: The project has been criticized for its environmental impact. It’s located in a sensitive desert habitat, leading to the destruction of natural landscapes and the displacement of endangered species like the desert tortoise. Additionally, the high concentration of solar rays has resulted in bird deaths, with estimates of thousands of birds dying each year from being incinerated by the concentrated solar beams.
  • Inefficiency: The technology used, concentrated solar power (CSP), involves thousands of heliostats directing sunlight to boilers on tall towers to generate steam for electricity. This complex system has proven inefficient compared to simpler photovoltaic solar panels, which have seen dramatic cost reductions and efficiency improvements.
  • Financial Burden: The project’s inability to meet contractual obligations led to Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Southern California Edison terminating their contracts, pushing the facility towards closure. The loan from the Department of Energy remains largely unpaid, highlighting a significant financial loss for taxpayers.
  • Public and Political Backlash: Critics, especially from conservative circles, have lambasted it as part of a pattern of failed green initiatives under the Obama administration, drawing parallels to other debacles like Solyndra. Posts on X have echoed these sentiments, labeling it as another expensive, ineffective green project.

The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System has not been completely shut down yet. However, it is on the path to closure. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has agreed with the plant’s owners to stop buying electricity from two of its three units, with the closure of these units expected to begin in 2026, pending regulatory approval from the California Public Utilities Commission. The third unit, contracted by Southern California Edison, remains operational for now, although discussions about its future are ongoing.

The closure of Ivanpah, with plans to potentially repurpose the site for conventional solar panels, underscores the project’s status as a costly, environmentally detrimental, and ultimately unproductive venture.