The Ivanpah Solar Power Facility, a California-based project that received $1.6 billion in federal loan guarantees in 2011, is nearing closure. This development has sparked criticism from energy experts who label the project a wasteful and environmentally damaging "boondoggle." Initially praised as a symbol of American leadership in solar energy under the Obama administration, the plant consistently underperformed and relied on natural gas to maintain operations. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), which had contracts with two of the plant's three units until 2039, opted to terminate the agreements early, citing cost savings for customers. Critics like Jason Isaac, CEO of the American Energy Institute, point to Ivanpah as evidence of the inefficiencies of government-subsidized energy initiatives. Environmental groups also voiced concerns, with the Sierra Club highlighting the plant's negative impact on wildlife and desert habitats. The closure of Ivanpah follows the 2011 bankruptcy of Solyndra, another federally-funded green energy project, which received $535 million in loan guarantees. Experts like Steve Milloy, senior fellow at the Energy & Environmental Legal Institute, warn of potential failures of similar magnitude stemming from recent green energy legislation. Milloy urges a halt to taxpayer funding of such projects, echoing former President Trump's criticism of what he terms the "Green New Scam."
Ivanpah Solar Power Facility (U.S. Department of Energy)
The $1.6 billion loan to Ivanpah was delivered under former President Obama's administration. (AP )
Chris Wright, chief executive officer of Liberty Energy Inc., was recently confirmed to head the U.S. Department of Energy under the Trump administration. (Al Drago)
