STATE — The controversial Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System was given a reprieve by the California Public Utilities Commission on Dec. 4.
The massive solar facility tucked along the Nevada border off Interstate 15 was slated to cease operations next year. Nevertheless, the CPUC rejected Pacific Gas and Electric’s request to terminate its long-term contracts, according to CPUC records and media reports.
The CPUC rarely cancels ongoing energy projects, the commission reported, as projects will be scrapped before construction, during permitting, persistent non-compliance, major environmental concerns or after their end of life due to cost and the potential to strand assets, such as transmission towers and power lines.
The CPUC said the state’s aggressive clean and renewable energy goals, along with stranding more than $333 million in transmission upgrades already paid by ratepayers, were two of the driving factors in the commission’s decision. The CPUC also expressed concerns over reliability and the state’s 100% carbon-free electricity mandate by 2045.
“While this infrastructure may continue to benefit ratepayers, especially in the case that Ivanpah is redeveloped, the aforementioned uncertainty in generator development (or in this case re-development) build-out create risk that ratepayers’ sunk investments for transmission and interconnection infrastructure will be stranded, for the near future and until a re-development plan on federal land could be …..
