Henry Brean, Las Vegas Review-Journal | Link to article
TONOPAH — After four years and almost $1 billion, the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Plant 225 miles northwest of Las Vegas delivered its first megawatts to the grid during a test run on Oct. 11.
And when it finally happened, it happened at night.
Site manager Brian Painter said he was so relieved and elated to see the plant sending out electricity that the real significance of the moment didn’t dawn on him until the next day: energy from the sun producing power in the dark.
That ability to store what the sun provides and for later use is what sets Crescent Dunes apart from all other utility-scale solar energy projects. It also helps explain what’s taking so long.
