1970s: Oil shocks lead to the creation of the first US solar thermal power plants by commercial developer, Luz International, an Israeli firm. Luz International filed for bankruptcy in 1991 after building and selling 9 solar thermal plants in California. According to Sandia National Laboratory report, factors for the bankruptcy included: market uncertainty, high costs, and lack of federal and state subsidies (Salon.com, 2008).
Reference: Salon.com. 2008. http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/04/14/solar_electric_thermal/
Read more about solar thermal power at Economist.com http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13725855
Image Description: Solar resource for a concentrating collector – California. Image Credit and Location: US Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. http://www.eere.energy.gov/states/alternatives/resources_ca.cfm Image Permission: This image is a work of a United States Department of Energy (or predecessor organization) employee, taken or made during the course of an employee’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain.
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This post is tagged 1970s Climate Change Events, 20th Century and Climate Change, Advanced Economies and Climate Change Mitigations, Advanced Economies and Renewable Energies, California and Climate Change, Climate Change Mitigations, Electricity, Electricity Generation, Fossil Fuels, Non-Renewable Energies, North America and Climate Change, Oil, Oil Crises, Renewable Energies, United States and Climate Change, US West and Climate Change
