Overview

• The Mojave Desert facility will be taken offline in 2026, far earlier than an originally cited 2039 end date.
• Built for about $2.2 billion with $1.6 billion in federal loan guarantees, the plant uses three 459-foot towers and roughly 173,500 heliostats.
• The project generated less power than expected, with routine natural-gas use to start boilers and support output during low-sun conditions.
• Cheaper solar photovoltaic technology outpaced the plant’s concentrating-solar design, a shift acknowledged by investor NRG Energy.
• PG&E’s January move to terminate its power contracts signaled mounting pressures preceding the shutdown, while wildlife groups have reported thousands of annual bird deaths tied to the site.