Sci Fi meets the gambling masses:
On your last few miles on I-15 heading out of California into Nevada you can’t help but miss three huge towers that look like something out of a Star Wars movie.
Instead of cranking my neck out the window like everyone else, I decided to actually pull over and snap a few shots.
Standing tall against the back drop of the desert you can only imagine how high they actually are. They give out an ominous look with the haze around the bright light source and the steam bellowing from the top.
So what are they?
They are the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (ISEGS) in California’s Mojave Desert. Opened in 2013 the generating towers are delivering power to PG&E and Southern California Edison. The project is currently the largest solar thermal power plant in the world uses mirrors to focus the power of the sun atop receivers on the towers.
The electricity generated by all three plants is enough to serve more than 140,000 homes in California during the peak hours of the day. The Ivanpah site enjoys sunshine most of the time and is near power lines that transport the power.
This 2.2 Billion complex consists of three generating units and is located in Ivanpah which is about five miles from the California-Nevada border.
How it works is the computer generated mirrors reflect sunshine to boilers atop a 459 foot tower. The sun’s power is used to heat water in the boiler tubes and then make steam which drives the turbines to create electricity.
More projects are on the way as the government pushes for cleaner power.
So if you are taking a trip that way on I-15 near Vegas be sure and be on the lookout for them. I really don’t think you will miss them.
Staycations California 