The 392-MW Ivanpah solar thermal plant in California near Primm, Nevada officially goes online today, with a dedication ceremony.
Celebrities include execs from the project’s creators NRG Energy, Bechtel, and Brightsource, and financial backers Google and the Department of Energy’s Loan Projects Office which provided a $1.6 billion loan guarantee. Energy Secretary Ernie Moniz is flying in to do the ceremonial honors. Grammy-nominated rock band The Fray, which used Ivanpah as the backdrop for their “Helios” album cover and a music video, reportedly will be performing.
Crescent Dunes in Nevada, another solar thermal plant, starts commissioning this week with a series of start-up procedures, testing the system slowly before coming online with full power. It stores excess heat in molten salt so energy can be produced at night too.