It isn't even powered by the SUN?

Mr S. sent me this article today because I was just bitching about the Tonopah plant because we stayed in that town. The plant the article is talking about is the Sweet Sun Rays of Death plant next to Vegas.

Massive Solar Power Plant Emits 46,000 Tons of CO2.

"President Obama once praised it as a shining example of America's clean energy future. "With projects like this one," he said at the site of a solar plant just before construction started, "we're putting Americans to work producing clean, home-grown American energy."

How can a solar plant emit so much CO2 you ask? Well, that was my first question.  Read on.

"According to the Press Enterprise in Riverside, Calif. , Ivanpah emits enough CO2 that it will "be required to participate in the state's cap-and-trade program to reduce carbon emissions."

In its first year, Ivanpah emitted 46,000 metric tons of CO2. That's about as much as a Frito Lay plant in Bakersfield emits."

How is this possible? It turns out that the Ivanpah plant uses natural gas to function.

"First, it burns natural gas to pre-heat the water at the top of the three towers before the sun comes up. Then, the Press Enterprise explains, it "has auxiliary gas boilers that kick in whenever cloud cover blocks the sun."

Oy.