Theworld'slargestsolarthermalplant(太阳热能发电站)issettobeginproducingpowerintheUnitedStatesbytheendoftheyear.Windandenergyfromthesunaregenerallyconsideredcleanunlikeenergyfromcoal-burningpowerstations.Howeverenvironmentalistsnowworrythattoomuchsolarpowerdevelopmentcouldharmthelocalenvironment.
ACaliforniacompany—BrightSourceEnergyisbuildingahugesolarpowerplantintheMojavedesertabout60kilometerssouthwestofLasVegasNevada.TheplantisknownastheIvanpahSolarElectricGeneratingSystem.JoeDesmondworksforthecompany."ThisisactuallyoneofthehighestconcentrationsofsunlightintheworldouthereinIvanpah."explainedDesmond.BrightSourceEnergywilldeploy170000speciallydesignedmirrorstodirectsolarenergytowardsboilersontopofthreepowertowers.Thesteamproducedintheboilerswilldriveturbine(涡轮)tomakeelectricity.JoeDesmondsaysthesteamcanreachtemperaturesofmorethan260degreesCelsius."Wecanstorethesun'sthermalenergyintheformofmoltensaltsowecanproduceelectricityevenwhenthesungoesdown.ThereisalotofinterestinconcentratingsolarpoweraroundtheglobeinenvironmnentswhereyouhavelotsofsunsuchasChinaSouthAfricatheMiddleEastNorthAfricaexplainedDesmond.
Environmentalistsgenerallysupporttheideaofsolarpowerhowevermanyareconcernedabouttheeffectofpowerplantsonsensitiveenvironment.LisaBelenkyisalawyerwiththeCenterforBiologicalDiversityaprivategroup.ShesaysenvironmentalistsarespecificallyworriedabouttheeffectoftheIvanpahSolarProjectonthesensitiveplantandanimallifeinthatpartofMojavedesert."Eventhoughthedesertseemsbigwhenyoustartcuttingitupitcanreallyaffecthowthespeciesandtheanimalsandtheplantsareabletosurviveinthelongrun"saidLisaBelenky.BrightSourceEnergyhasalreadyspentmorethan$50milliontomoveendangereddeserttortoisesawayfromthepowerplant.butLisaBelenkysaysthisisnottheanswer."Weshouldbereusingareasthathavea1readybeendisturbedlikeoldminingsitesforexample...eitheronhomesonbusinessesparkinglots."saidBelenky.
TherehavealsobeenreportsofbirdsdyingattheIvanpahPlantandotherslikeit.
Som