Obama-era 'clean energy' solar power plant still uses fossil fuels – and kills thousands of birds annually
The Ivanpah Solar Power Plant, a large solar facility in the Mojave Desert backed during the Obama administration, continues to rely on natural gas for daily operations and emits up to 30,000 metric tons of CO2 annually. Despite being promoted as a clean energy project, it has raised environmental concerns due to its fossil fuel use and the thousands of birds killed each year by its concentrated solar beams. Critics question the plant's ecological trade-offs and how such renewable energy projects are evaluated.
- ▪The Ivanpah Solar Power Plant burns natural gas daily to start operations, producing significant carbon emissions.
- ▪Thousands of birds are killed annually after flying through the plant's concentrated solar flux beams.
- ▪Federal researchers and wildlife agencies have documented bird fatalities linked to the plant's intense solar rays.
- ▪The facility's emissions are comparable to the energy use of thousands of homes.
- ▪Critics argue that the environmental costs of Ivanpah may outweigh its benefits as a renewable energy source.
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US Energy Obama-era 'clean energy' solar power plant still uses fossil fuels -- and kills thousands of birds annually Ivanpah Solar Power Plant burns natural gas daily and produces up to 30,000 metric tons of CO2 annually By Michael Dorgan Fox News Published May 3, 2026 11:15am EDT Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video Bird appears to smoke after flying through solar beams at Ivanpah solar plant A bird appears to smoke after flying through concentrated solar beams, known as "solar flux," at the Ivanpah Solar Power Plant in 2016, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. (U.S. Geological Survey) NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! This is part 2 of a series on California's troubled Ivanpah Solar Power Plant in the Mojave Desert.
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