Located on the outskirts of the Mojave Desert near the California/Nevada border, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System has three solar towers, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of mirrors reflecting sunlight. Late last month, the facility's Unit 1 station synced to the power grid for the first time, described by officials as a critical milestone. The test proved that the power tower technology in use at the facility, made up of sunlight-tracking heliostats, solar field integration software and a solar receiver steam generator, can effectively transmit power to the power grid.
The 3,500-acre plant is jointly owned by NRG Energy Inc., Brightsource Energy Inc., and Google. Power generated in the Unit 1 test will go to Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), which will also receive power from the facility's upcoming Unit 3 test. Power from the Unit 2 station test will go to Southern California Edison.
Photo Credit: Josh Cassidy/KQED
Noelle Knell is the executive editor for e.Republic, responsible for setting the overall direction for e.Republic’s editorial platforms, including Government Technology, Governing, Industry Insider, Emergency Management and the Center for Digital Education. She has been with e.Republic since 2011, and has decades of writing, editing and leadership experience. A California native, Noelle has worked in both state and local government, and is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, with majors in political science and American history.
