Jones wrote,"Looks like this one is a success and is being expanded"
The Andasol 1 plant cost around EUR300 million (US$380 million) to build
+ 13% for power storage.It produces power at $0.35/kWh which is
guaranteed for 25 years(!)With successful plants like that who needs
failures?
Jones. "The low cost of natural gas will be no more than a fond memory in 5-10
years."
According to the US Energy information Administration, the US has known
reserves for 94 years.
I am suspicious of Brightsource until I see independent numbers. I would risk a
fairly large bet that they have had substantial government grants.
It seems too big for a relatively untried technology: one doesn't know what the
snags are yet but there will be some.
I wonder what the weather is like there? One hailstorm would shatter
thousands of 2-3mm untempered glass sheets.
The NY Times thinks it maybe both the first and the last such plant.
The departure of Brightsource's CEO, Media Relations, legal depts. and
shutting down two 500 MW projects might give pause for thought.
(http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/solar/concentrating-solar/brightsource-ceo-steps-down.html)
Apart from anything else it is an Israeli company pretending to be
American, owned by an Israeli whose main claim to fame is getting
decorated for building settlements on Palestinian land.
I think LENR is real and even if it weren't a better energy than this
will be developed.As a taxpayer I wonder what my share in the plant is.
