What happened to Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project?
Isabella Turner
Updated on January 16, 2026
The Crescent Dunes site has not produced power since April 2019 and its sole customer, NV Energy, subsequently terminated their contract. Since the initial failure of the Crescent Dunes project, SolarReserve took down their website and was believed to have permanently ceased operations.
Why did Crescent Dunes fail?
One of the highest-profile failures at Crescent Dunes was an eight-month shutdown caused by a leak in the plant’s molten salt thermal storage tank. SolarReserve’s lawsuit blamed the leak on ACS Cobra, a Spanish company that carried out the engineering, procurement and construction work for Crescent Dunes.
Is ivanpah still operational?
BrightSource’s solar thermal system is operating at the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (ISEGS) in California’s Mojave Desert. The project is currently the largest solar thermal power plant in the world. …
Will solar panels become obsolete?
Solar panels degrade very little over time, they are known to be functional for at least 20 years. And because solar technology does not change all that quickly, if new technologies do come in, it should be fairly easy to “upgrade” your system to fit your electrical needs.
How much power does a solar plant make?
Given 1kW of panels produces 1642 kWh per year in CA and 1kW of panels takes up 68.42 square feet solar panels installed in California on average produce 23.99 kWh (kilowatt hours) per square foot per year. You can use the table of solar power production per kW for each state above to do the same math for your state.
Can you visit Ivanpah solar?
Now you can visit Ivanpah from your computer. A new virtual tour of the Ivanpah project brings the world’s largest solar thermal plant to life on the web. The Ivanpah virtual tour is a collection of images stitched together to offer dramatic 360° views of this truly iconic project.
Who owns Ivanpah solar plant?
CLIMATE BENEFIT
| PROJECT SUMMARY | Owners | BrightSource Energy, NRG Energy, Google |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Ivanpah Dry Lake, California | |
| FINANCIAL SUMMARY | Loan Program | Title XVII |
| Loan Type | Loan Guarantee | |
| Loan Amount 1 | $1.6 Billion |
How efficient is Ivanpah?
When the solar-thermal plant is built on the edge of the Mojave National Preserve (construction is expected to start this year), it will operate at 18 percent efficiency and earn a capacity factor of 30 percent.
How much did Ivanpah cost?
The total cost of the project is about $2.18 billion. BrightSource has contracts to sell about two-thirds of the power generated at Ivanpah to PG&E, and the rest to SCE.
What was the loan guarantee for Tonopah Solar Energy?
The Department of Energy announced on Sept. 28 that it had “finalized a $737 million loan guarantee to Tonopah Solar Energy LLC to develop the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project” in Nevada.
How many jobs will Tonopah Solar energy create?
It’s true that Tonopah Solar Energy, a subsidiary of SolarReserve, received a $737 million loan from the government to build a new solar facility in Nevada. It’s also true that the project is expected to create 45 permanent jobs. However, many construction jobs also would be supported.
Is the Tonopah Solar Project dispatchable or intermittent?
But the Tonopah solar project power is dispatchable whilst photovoltaic power is intermittent. It is inappropriate to compare intermittent generating technologies, like wind and solar, with dispatchable generating technologies like nuclear, gas combined cycle, and coal.
How much money has been lost on solar power?
The Energy Department estimates that losses represent only 2.9% of its $28 billion in loan guarantees for renewable energy projects, which also funded such successes as the massive farms of thin-film solar cells from the biggest American manufacturer.
