The world's largest solar thermal plant is set to begin producing power in the United States by the end of the year. Wind and energy from the sun are generally considered clean, 61 energy from coal-burning power stations. However, environmentalists now worry that too much solar power development 62 (harm) the local environment.
Source Energy is building a huge solar power plant in the Mojave desert, about 60 kilometers southwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. The plant 63 (know) as the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System. Joe Desmond works for the company.
“This is actually one of the highest 64 of sunlight in the world, out here in Ivanpah,” explained Desmond.
BrightSource Energy will deploy 170,000 specially designed mirrors to direct solar energy towards boilers on top of three power towers. The steam produced in the boilers will drive turbines to make electricity.
“We can store the sun's thermal energy in the form of molten salt, so we can produce electricity even when the sun goes down. There is a lot of interest in 65 (concentrate) solar power around the globe in environments 66 you have lots of sun, such as China, South Africa, the Middle East, North Africa,” explained Desmond.
Environmentalists generally support the idea of solar power, 67 , many are concerned about the effect of power plants on sensitive environment.
Lisa Belenky is a lawyer with the Center for Biological Diversity, a private group. She says environmentalists are specifically worried about the effect of the Ivanpah Solar Project on 68 sensitive plant and animal life in that part of Mojave desert.
“ 69 the desert seems big, when you start cutting it up, 70 can really affect how the species and the animals and the plants are able to survive in the long run,” said Lisa Belenky.