Concentrating solar, or 'solar thermal', is an old technology getting an update as solar power spreads across the Southwest.
"From five miles away, the Nevada Solar One power plant seems a mirage, a silver lake amid waves of 110 degree F. desert heat. Driving nearer, the rippling image morphs into a sea of mirrors angled to the sun.
As the first commercial 'concentrating solar power' or CSP plant built in 17 years, Nevada Solar One marks the reemergence and updating of a decades-old technology that could play a large new role in US power production, many observers say.
'Concentrating solar is pretty hot right now,' says Mark Mehos, program manager for CSP at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Co. 'Costs look pretty good compared to natural gas [power]. Public policy, climate concern, and new technology are driving it, too.'"
FULL STORY: New rays of hope for solar power’s future
Western Solar Plan Charts Course for Development on Public Lands
The BLM’s proposed maps could open up as much as 55 million acres to solar installations.
Making Solar Energy Land Use More Efficient
How an ‘ecovoltaic’ approach can balance energy production with conservation of sensitive land.
New Solar Capacity Outpaces New Fossil Fuels in the US
Solar energy still makes up just 5 percent of the nation’s energy mix, but could grow faster in coming years.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
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