Aerial Views of Construction Progress

March 30, 2011 - Ivanpah Valley, California:

^The central power block area and future location of the power tower in Unit 1, surrounded by access roads where concentric rows of mirrors will focus sunlight to the tower receiver. All Desert tortoises have been cleared out of this area and are currently being held in pens for future translocation to adjacent desert. Note the high berm on the uphill (left) side of the graded area, to protect the future steam turbines and and tower from flash floods coming off Clark Mountain.

^Molycorp Mine, for rare earths, in the foreground, with ISEGS in the background. South slope of Clark Mountain at Mountain Pass.

^Unit 1 and Construction Layout Area, with Unit 2 central power block/power tower area graded in upper left . The Metamorphic Hill can be seen above.

^Coloseum Mine Road skirts the golf course, heading up the alluvial fan between Unit 1 and 2 (which does not yet have its concentric roads graded). Clark Mountain rises in the background.

^Interstate 15 on the right heads by the golf course to Primm between Ivanpah Dry Lake and Roach Dry Lake. ISEGS on the left.

^Construction Layout Area and Unit 2 can be seen next to the Metamorphic Hill. The irregular perimeter fence wraps around the edge of the hill. The half-moon shaped fencelines on the left are temporary fences around nesting birds in the desert, which are protected under the Migratory Bird Act. After the birds finish nesting the fencelines will be moved to straight.

^View looking up ISEGS Units 1,2, and 3 towards the Stateline Hills.

^Units 2 and 1 looking south towards the Clark Mountains and Mojave National Preserve.

^The fenceline of Unit 3 can barely be made out, wrapping up against the little limestone hill. The view looks south towards southern Ivanpah Valley in Mojave National Preserve and the New York Mountains in the distance.

^Unit 3 and 2 between the little limestone hill and Metamorphic Hill. Outer perimeter roads visible.

^All three Units visible looking east towards the golf course and Ivanpah Dry Lake.

^Unit 1 looking towards the west and Clark Mountains.

^Construction Layout Area.

^Unit 1.

^Unit 1.

 

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