Concentrating solar thermal power in the U.S.: lessons from setbacks at Ivanpah, light for the future

Concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) exhibits promise as a source of firm electricity. The proposed termination of Ivanpah’s power purchase agreement hinders confidence in the country’s CSP future. This work highlights how the lack of thermal energy storage (TES) undermined the first-of-a-kind plant’s economics as California’s grid transformed. Then, possible futures of the Ivanpah facility are analyzed; results show retrofitting with state-of-the-art TES systems could provide better returns.