California solar plant is riding into the sunset, thanks to cheaper PV panels

There is a blinding beacon of light at the top of a tower in the middle of the Mojave Desert.

It’s a solar power facility called Ivanpah. It’s been supplying enough juice to power 140,000 homes for more than a decade. But it doesn’t generate electricity directly like rooftop solar panels do. It’s surrounded by a bunch of mirrors in concentric circles.

“Those mirrors reflect the heat of the sun to a receiver that’s mounted at the top of a big tower,” said Ed Smeloff, a clean energy consultant.