Environmentalists have been alarmed at the prospect of a solar concentrator in the desert near Joshua Tree National Park. Reporter Dan Stork reports that it appears that the 750-foot tower surrounded by thousands of mirrors is not going to happen…
On Friday, Palen Solar Holdings of Oakland filed a Notice of Withdrawal of the Petition for Amendment with the California Energy Commission. According to a press release from the National Parks Conservation Association, this indicates that the company will not move forward with its 750-foot power tower, planned for a site about 60 miles east of Indio. The Association and others had warned that such a tower would be a hazard to birds, who would be fried in large numbers as they flew through the field of mirrors surrounding the tower. The decision comes less than two weeks after the project had been approved by authorities. According to a story in the Desert Sun, BrightSource Energy and Abengoa Solar withdrew their application because they decided that they could not complete the project in time to qualify for a 30 percent tax credit, which expires at the end of 2016.
CONTROVERSIAL PALEN SOLAR PROJECT WITHDRAWS PROPOSAL
