Solar panels have been the most famous renewable energy source for years now. This technology has adapted to the most extreme environments, turning heat into electricity. The most common areas to see one or multiple solar panels are in sunny areas, like Arizona, California, or Texas. Meanwhile, not everyone who has a panel is thriving and generating enough clean energy – some are even left to rot in abandoned solar farms. Now, the future of renewable sources in one of the sunniest states in the U.S. could be in danger.
The reason solar panels are not trending in 2025
Some farms struggle to meet production targets, others face technical glitches, or weather changes. On the other hand, there is also the need for a renewable source of energy in areas where the sun is not that strong, but wind or water is. What once seemed to be an unstoppable energy revolution has exposed cracks in planning, long-term sustainability, and now execution.
In one of the U.S. sunniest deserts, a high-profile solar panel project is facing a turning point. Despite the early promises, there were limitations on a large-scale installation on site, and for this reason, the company’s plans are changing drastically, pushing the industry into a new frontier.
After over a decade, the world’s biggest solar plant is about to close
The Ivanpah Solar Power Plant, once the largest facility of its kind in the world, could close more than a decade ahead of schedule. The plant has struggled to compete with newer, cheaper solar technologies and has been criticized for harming local wildlife.
Opened in 2014, the $2.2 billion solar panel facility covers five square miles in the Mojave Desert along the California-Nevada border. It uses concentrated solar power, focusing sunlight with thousands of mirrors onto towers to produce steam-driven electricity. Industry changes have made other renewable sources more cost-effective. Utilities say that ending their contracts with Ivanpah could lower energy costs for consumers.
California’s two largest power providers, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and Southern California Edison, are moving in that direction. PG&E has already reached an agreement to terminate its contract, while Southern California Edison is reportedly negotiating a potential buyout. If PG&E’s exit is approved, two of the plant’s three units could shut down by 2026, 13 years early.
California and Las Vegas residents could feel the impact: Driving around is not comfortable
The plant has also drawn environmental criticism. Conservation groups say the concentrated sunlight has killed thousands of birds each year and may threaten the habitat of the desert tortoise. Julia Dowell, a senior campaign organizer at the Sierra Club, said the project destroyed fragile desert ecosystems and rare plant species, calling it both a financial and environmental failure.
Travelers driving toward Las Vegas on Interstate 15 may find the plant striking. Among the desert rocks and scrub, the thousands of mirrors can look like a shimmering lake on the sand. At certain angles, however, the reflections can be dazzling – even blinding in some cases.
The result of PG&E’s exit: The largest solar panel plant will be left to rot
If regulators approve PG&E’s exit, NRG Energy said the affected units will be shut down, and the site could eventually be converted to conventional solar panels. The company has not disclosed the potential costs or what will happen to the existing equipment.
NRG Energy, one of the plant’s owners, has suggested the site could be converted to conventional solar panels, though details on decommissioning and costs have yet to be released. However, this is set to be one of the biggest setbacks in the history of solar energy. Meanwhile, other companies are thriving in the industry.
