Renewable Energy Discussion Series: Concentrating Solar Power

This was first in a series of informal conversations about renewable energy technologies. The series was intended to help Senate staffers better understand the possibilities of different kinds of renewable energy. A small group of energy experts led each interactive discussion, and answered a variety of questions, including:

• How does the technology work?
• Where is it currently used and where can it be deployed?
• How much of our energy could we get from the technology?
• What are the upfront costs and long term benefits?
• How many design, construction, operation, & maintenance jobs are created?

On May 16, 2008, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the offices of Senators Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) held a meeting to explore the potential of concentrating solar power. With over 400 Megawatts in operation and another 4,000 Megawatts of projects in the pipeline, utility-scale solar power could be the hottest technology in the U.S. electric industry. But can the sun really provide a significant amount of our electricity? How fast can this industry grow?